April 11, 2016
For immediate release
Contact: Lisa Sundean, RN, MSN, MHA, PhD(c)
Director, Connecticut Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition
Lisa.sundean.cncac@gmail.com, 860-508-2032

The Connecticut Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition (CNC-AC) is partnering with the state’s Department of Labor and Department of Public Health to manage and analyze Connecticut’s nursing workforce data.  The analysis will provide critical information for ongoing planning around the health of Connecticut residents, development of the nursing workforce and the state economy.

“The collective commitment of our partners fulfills the obligation to support the healthcare needs of Connecticut residents led by a data-informed nursing workforce,” said Lisa Sundean, RN, MSN, MA, PhD(c), director of the CNC-AC and Kimberly Sandor, RN, MSN, FNP, executive director of the Connecticut Nurses Association.

Nurses comprise the largest portion of the healthcare workforce nationally. Their numbers have a significant impact on consumers’ access to care and patient outcomes. A better understanding of the nursing workforce is crucial for decision-making about employment in different healthcare settings, diversification of the nursing workforce in relation to population diversity, deployment of nurses in areas of high healthcare need, decision-making about nursing education, and preparation of nursing faculty.

This interprofessional, collaborative partnership to manage and analyze nursing workforce data is historic in Connecticut and nationally, and demonstrates a vital link to population health and state labor force economics, Sundean said.

Marcia Proto, M.Ed, executive director of the Connecticut League for Nursing and the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce added, “The CNC-AC has developed positive working relationships with nursing and non-nursing partners in Connecticut and around the country. Through these relationships we have aligned our talents and resources to address nursing workforce issues across all healthcare settings in the state.”

The CNC-AC is one of 51 state Action Coalitions in every state and the District of Columbia, part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Campaign for Action aims to improve the health of populations through a strong, diverse nursing workforce. CNC-AC is committed to convening a wide range of partnerships, influencing broadly, and facilitating activities that aim toward improved health of citizens statewide. CNC-AC is a project of the Connecticut Nurses Foundation and the Connecticut Nurses Association and works in close collaboration with the Connecticut League for Nursing. Partnerships between CNC-AC and state agencies demonstrate the commitment of the State of Connecticut to achieving healthier communities through nursing, the most trusted profession in the country.