New York State Department of Health Hosts First-Ever Statewide Nursing Workforce Summit

Nursing Leaders, Educators and Researchers Collaborate on Workforce Solutions Including Education, Employment and Retention

Summit Provides Essential Opportunity to Discuss and Develop Innovated Approaches to Strengthen Nursing Workforce Across New York State

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 9, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health hosted its first-ever New York State Nursing Workforce Summit, bringing together nursing leaders, educators and researchers from across the state to share resources and successful strategies for addressing the nursing workforce shortage in New York. Session topics throughout the day-long summit included education and training, employment and retention, stories from the field and future collaborations.

"This is the first event of its kind created by and for nurses, providing us an important opportunity to hear directly from those on the front lines about the challenges nurses face and solutions they've implemented," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "The goal of this summit is to strengthen communication and collaboration, which will lead to sustainable solutions for the future."

There are nearly 415,000 Licensed Registered Nurses (RNs) in New York State. However, according to the Center for Health Workforce Studies, just 63 percent are active and working in New York State – and just 49 percent of active RNs working in New York are working in patient care.

Building on recent significant state investments in nursing education and workforce development, the Department of Health recognizes that sustainable solutions require ongoing dialogue with the practitioners, educators, and leaders who understand the day-to-day realities of nursing in New York. This summit provides an essential opportunity to learn directly from stakeholders about emerging needs and innovative approaches that can inform our continued efforts to strengthen the nursing workforce across the state.

Dr. Carrie Roseamelia, Director of the New York State Department of Health's Workforce Innovation Center said, "As Director of Workforce Innovation, I've been energized by the rich and thoughtful discussions I've had with nursing leaders across the state in preparation for this summit. These conversations have reinforced my belief that bringing together diverse voices from across New York's nursing community is essential to building sustainable workforce solutions."

Jean Moore, Director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies said, "There are over 400,000 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in New York. Almost 2/3rds of them actively working in nursing and nearly half of active RNs provide patient care. An analysis completed by the Center for Health Workforce Studies found that patient care RNs, particularly those working in acute care, report high levels of burnout which contributes to turnover and ultimately a decline in the supply of patient care RNs. The Nursing Summit convened by the Department of Health provided a unique opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders to learn from each other, sharing effective strategies to recruit and retain RNs."

Pat Bruckenthal, Dean and Professor, Stony Brook University School of Nursing said, "The New York State Department of Health's decision to convene a Stakeholder Summit on nursing workforce issues is a critical step toward addressing one of the most urgent challenges facing our healthcare system, the growing shortage of nurses. This Summit provides a forum to bring together the collaborative voices of healthcare providers, academic institutions, labor organizations, and policy leaders, to strategize on long term solutions to build a resilient nursing workforce that will ensure high quality, equitable health care for all New Yorkers."

Deborah C. Stamps, EdD, MBA, MS, RN, GNP, NE-BC, CDE®, FADLN, FAAN Founder and CEO, Deborah Stamps Consulting, LLC said, " The Nursing Workforce Stakeholder Summit was a powerful reminder that sustainable change requires collective action. By bringing together diverse voices from across the state, we've taken a meaningful step toward building a stronger, more inclusive, and future-ready nursing workforce for all New Yorkers."

New York State has launched several initiatives to increase the nursing workforce. These investments will establish career pathways and training programs that will target nursing workforce shortages throughout the state.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced in May that  nursing simulation centers will be established on three State University of New York (SUNY) campuses as part of her signature legislation to expand simulation-based education in SUNY nursing programs. The $62 million investment includes $35 million in direct SUNY capital awards, with the remaining funds contributed by campus matches. The three nursing simulation centers will be located on the University at Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University campuses.

Last year, Governor Hochul announced the NYS Healthcare Workers for Our Future Scholarship, which provides a two-year, full-ride scholarship to approximately 500 New York State students seeking to earn their associates or bachelor's degree for several professions including Registered Nurse.

The 2023 enacted budget established the New York State Nurses Across New York (NANY) Loan Repayment Program, designed to help incentivize registered professional nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to work in underserved communities, in a variety of settings and specialties, to care for New York's diverse population.

Last year, the Governor announced that New York State had paid over $2 billion in bonuses to more than 800,000 health care workers – including thousands of nurses – through the Health Care Worker Bonus Program. The program was launched by Governor Hochul in 2022 and provided bonuses of up to $3,000 for eligible health care workers across New York.