Track 25: Nursing Workforce Development

Nursing Workforce Development refers to the strategies, initiatives, and programs designed to improve the supply, quality, and distribution of nurses across healthcare systems. This area of focus aims to address the growing demand for nursing professionals and to ensure that the workforce is adequately prepared to meet the complex healthcare needs of the population. With increasing patient complexity, an aging population, and rising healthcare demands, nursing workforce development plays a crucial role in sustaining and enhancing the healthcare system.

Key components of nursing workforce development include education, training, recruitment, retention, leadership development, and creating a supportive work environment. Investments in nursing education are essential to ensuring that nurses have the necessary skills to provide high-quality care, particularly in areas such as critical care, geriatrics, and primary care. Additionally, strategies to recruit and retain nurses are vital to combatting shortages in the profession, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Furthermore, nursing workforce development emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that nurses come from varied backgrounds and are equipped to address the health disparities that exist in different communities. This field also focuses on fostering leadership within the nursing profession to influence healthcare policy, improve patient outcomes, and enhance work environments.

Keywords: Nursing, workforce development, healthcare, education, training, recruitment, retention, leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion, policy, care delivery, healthcare systems, shortages, nursing workforce, geriatrics, critical care, patient outcomes, healthcare access, nursing profession.