State of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Symposium Dives Into the Power of Data

“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”

W. Edwards Deming, an American composer and economist born in 1900, said that — and Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and chief executive office of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, reminded the audience of this quote during her keynote presentation at the 2025 State of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Symposium, held Oct. 24 at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON).

The symposium is the signature event of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center (MNWC), housed at UMSON, and this year’s theme was “Data Trends and Future Readiness,” underscoring the critical role of data-driven decision-making in shaping a resilient and sustainable nursing workforce.

The symposium is a “vital space for us to really collaborate, think about innovations, think about how we promote and advocate together,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and professor, during her welcome to the audience, which included more than 160 nursing professionals, educators, policymakers, and health care leaders. “Hopefully you’ll meet somebody new and begin to forge a new partnership so that we can chart a bold path forward for nursing.”

Leading Nursing Through Data

In diving into “Lead, Don’t Lag: Why Data Must Guide Workforce Strategy, Organizational Health, and Policy Engagement,” Trautman addressed how challenging the current nursing landscape is: “I have had the privilege of being in the profession for many years now,” she said. “I have experienced, as many of you have, significant times of challenge and uncertainty. I have not in my career experienced them where they’ve been as significant at the same time, in academia, in practice, and in policy. This is the perfect storm in all three of those environments. So, it’s very important for us to have and rely upon data and our stories as we work to make changes at an organization level, at a state level, and, most importantly, at a national policy level.”

Trautman offered two salient examples of how data has been used effectively to shape policy. First, she spoke of the bipartisan PRECEPT Nurses Act (H.R. 392, S. 131), a bill currently before Congress that provides a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who serve as clinical preceptors. “It was data that helped us convince members of Congress and their staff about why this is so important, and this is an example of legislation where there is agreement on both sides of the aisle,” she said.

She also recounted some challenges with messaging around the 2014 Affordable Care Act that affected its popularity, but the efficacy of the act’s provisions are clearly shown in the data. “The messaging matters,” she explained. “We can have great policy, but if we can’t speak to it, know about why it’s important, it is an even more difficult situation for individuals to understand. But the good news here is the data shows states who have not adopted those expansion benefits of the law continue to experience higher rates of uninsured than those who do not, and this has been consistent.” 

Using data to inform policy is nothing new for nurses, Trautman explained. “Florence Nightingale was a trailblazer,” she said. “She made a significant difference in improving health because she helped point out to people, ‘No, what you think is the problem is not,’ and it was data that did that.” But Trautman underscored the need for the nursing profession to use data more frequently and proactively and to share data among agencies and organizations. “Our profession hasn’t always been great about speaking with one voice at times when it’s very important, and we’re facilitating a nursing community that works on building consensus,” she said.

Following Trautman’s keynote, the symposium included two panel discussions on “Using Data to Strengthen Organizations: Insights for Academic and Clinical Nursing Leaders” and “Advocacy in Action: Leveraging Public Engagement, Policy Collaboration, and Legal Strategies to Strengthen the Nursing Workforce.”

After lunch and networking, Amy Alsante, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CHEP, LSSGB, chief nursing officer at Sunburst Workforce Advisors and president elect of the Maryland Organization of Nurse Leaders, presented “Bridging Nursing Education and Workforce Demands: Faculty Development, Clinical Training, and Workforce Readiness.”

Improving Health Care Access and Workforce Stability

Wrapping up the day as the symposium’s endnote speaker, Maryland Del. Bonnie L. Cullison (District 19, Montgomery County), vice chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee, discussed policymakers’ and legislators’ work to improve health care access and workforce stability. Cullison emphasized high turnover rates driving a critical shortage of health care professionals, with the largest number of vacancies being among registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists, and nursing assistants, “all of which are critical to the operation of hospitals and health care settings,” she said.

Echoing Trautman’s remarks, Cullison stressed the importance of data.

“We believe that data is important to help us prepare for the future,” she said. “Health care fields, in general, have significant levels of unpredictability, but by using data, we can help prepare for what we can’t anticipate. What the hard data allows us to do is, in combination with your voices, identify the best treatments, guide the educational programs, and predict changes.”

As the health care landscape evolves, nursing leaders must be equipped to address emerging challenges, including faculty shortages, nurse retention, and the integration of emerging health technologies, Cullison said.

“I truly believe that nurses are the backbone of our health care systems,” she continued. “And we (legislators) believe that we need to support them in any way we can, by incorporating the analysis of the data and its trends and listening to your voices, your leadership. That’s what’s going to help us understand the daily experiences and which factors most influence health care occupation choices.”

Wrapping up the day, Crystal DeVance-Wilson, PhD ’19, MS ’06, MBA, BSN ’00, PHCNS-BC, assistant professor, vice chair of UMSON at the Universities at Shady Grove, and director of the MNWC, expressed gratitude for the Nurse Support Program (NSP) II  grant that supports the center; NSP II is funded through the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

“I cannot leave without once again mentioning the value of support that the NSP II gives us,” she said. “The NSP II team are encouraging, they’re honest, and they want this program to win in everything that we do.”

She also said she is already looking forward to the 2026 symposium.

“I’ll see you next year,” she told attendees. “No, I’ll see you before then, because we’re going to be doing lots of stuff in the coming months, so we’ll be in touch.”