Center for Nursing Workforce Symposiums

The CNW Symposiums offer nurses, health care providers, consumers, educators, government officials, and other individuals in business and industry, the opportunity to convene to review and comment on data analysis; make recommendations for strategic action; and to evaluate effectiveness of actions implemented. 

The Center for Nursing Workforce cohosted the Symposium, held on May 22nd, 2024, with the South Dakota Nurses Association and Nursing Education Deans & Directors, with over 100 nurses and stakeholders participating. The Symposium featured content on South Dakota's current nursing workforce supply and education pipeline; a panel discussion with South Dakota nurse legislators, Senator Sydney Davis, RN, APRN, CRNA; Senator Jean Hunhoff, RN, Representative Taylor Rehfeldt, RN, APRN, CRNA; Senator Erin Tobin, RN, APRN, CNP; and Secretary of Health, Melissa Magstadt, RN, APRN, CNP. Followed by a keynote presentation by Dr. Nelda Godfrey, Professor and Associate Dean for Innovative Partnerships and Practice at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. Dr. Godfrey shared current research and work with the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing on transforming the way nurses, health care professionals, and society understand what it means to “think, act and feel like a nurse”. 

Education and Workforce Slides              

Over 100 nurses and stakeholders participated in the Symposium on May 9th, 2023. Keynote speaker Chuck Underwood, a nationally known expert on generational dynamics, provided participants valuable information on generational differences and workforce management strategies for the four generations contributing to today’s nursing workforce. Participants had the opportunity to learn about South Dakota’s current nursing workforce supply, education pipeline,and to identify strategies to meet the state’s future workforce needs.