Nursing Workforce

This project examines the nursing workforce in North Carolina, including trends in supply, retention, and practice patterns across the state. Our research covers registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and other nursing professionals, with a focus on evidence-based strategies to address workforce challenges and improve retention.

Publications

Facilitators and Barriers to Reengaging Healthcare Workers Through Refresher Programs: Lessons Learned from a Systematic Literature Review

By Brooke Lombardi, Catherine Moore, Erin P. Fraher — Sep 18, 2025

Facilitators and Barriers to Reengaging Healthcare Workers Through Refresher Programs

Retention of Registered Nurses: A Brief Report on Interventions to Increase Retention in the Nursing Workforce

By Catherine Moore, Brooke Lombardi, Erin P. Fraher — Sep 17, 2025

A Brief Report on Interventions to Increase Retention in the Nursing Workforce

North Carolina Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: A Report on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Workforce in North Carolina

By Erin Fraher, Connor Sullivan, Catherine Moore, Tony Kane, Andy Knapton, Lorinda Coombs, Evan Galloway — Sep 25, 2024

North Carolina Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: A Report on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Workforce in North Carolina

Recent Posts

Facilitators and Barriers to Reengaging Healthcare Workers Through Refresher Programs: Lessons Learned from a Systematic Literature Review

Facilitators and Barriers to Reengaging Healthcare Workers Through Refresher Programs
2024 Health Workforce Update: Insights from the North Carolina Health Professions Data System

2024 Health Workforce Update
Retention of Registered Nurses: A Brief Report on Interventions to Increase Retention in the Nursing Workforce

A Brief Report on Interventions to Increase Retention in the Nursing Workforce
The Workforce Outcomes of Physicians Completing Residency Training in North Carolina in 2017, 2018, and 2019

The Workforce Outcomes of Physicians Completing Residency Training in North Carolina in 2017, 2018, and 2019
North Carolina's Certified Nurse Midwife Workforce is Growing, but the Workforce Remains Maldistributed

NC's CNM workforce increased 49% between 2013 and 2023, but geographic distribution challenges persist
How has RN Retention in North Carolina Changed over Time?

How has RN Retention in North Carolina Changed over Time?
Outcomes of NC Medical School Graduates: How Many Stay in Practice in NC, in Primary Care, and in High Need Areas?

The Workforce Outcomes of Physicians Completing Residency Training in North Carolina in 2017, 2018, and 2019
How Many Healthcare Professionals Work in Communities in North Carolina Impacted by Hurricane Helene?

Hurricane Helene and the Health Workforce
Is Access to Primary Care Clinicians Improving In North Carolina?

Is Access to Primary Care Clinicians Improving In North Carolina?
2023 Data Update: The North Carolina Health Professions Data System

2023 Data Update: The North Carolina Health Professions Data System
North Carolina Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: A Report on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Workforce in North Carolina

North Carolina Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: A Report on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Workforce in North Carolina
Trends in the racial and ethnic diversity of NC health professions

Trends in the racial and ethnic diversity of NC health professions
How does the racial and ethnic diversity of NC health professionals compare to the racial and ethnic diversity of the state population?

How does the racial and ethnic diversity of NC health professionals compare to the racial and ethnic diversity of the state population?
NC's Dentist Workforce Continues to Grow, But Mostly in 5 Counties

North Carolina increased the supply of dentists by 586 between 2017 and 2021. Where did they go?
Comparing Hospital Nurse Settings from the 2018 NSSRN vs. 2008-2013 North Carolina Licensure Data

Findings suggest NC workforce is similar to the national one in terms of hospital employment setting.
Distribution of critical care physician workforce in North Carolina

Distribution of critical care physician workforce in North Carolina
North Carolina’s Supply of Critical Care Nurses are Crucial to the State’s COVID-19 Response

Does NC have the critical care nursing workforce needed to combat COVID-19?

North Carolina’s Respiratory Therapist Workforce: Availability to treat COVID-19

North Carolina’s Respiratory Therapist Workforce: Availability to treat COVID-19
Primary Care Access in North Carolina is Not Equally Distributed

Primary Care Access in North Carolina is Not Equally Distributed

COVID-19, Primary Care, and Infectious Disease Physicians in NC

COVID-19, Primary Care, and Infectious Disease Physicians in NC
How diverse is NC's obstetric delivery workforce?

How diverse is NC's obstetric delivery workforce?
What do we know about graduate medical education (GME) outcomes in NC?

What do we know about NC's GME outcomes?
NC's physician-to-population ratio is increasing, but most of the growth is in urban areas.

The ratio of physicians-to-population is increasing in NC, but most of the increase is in urban areas.
Where do NC’s international medical graduates come from?

Where do NC’s international medical graduates come from?
Where were North Carolina's Occupational Therapists Trained?

37% of NC occupational therapists were trained in state. What about the rest?
Age Distribution for Health Professionals, Metro and Rural, North Carolina

Compare the age distributions of health professionals in metro and rural areas.
The dentist workforce in urban counties is younger than the workforce in rural counties.

There are more younger dentists than older dentists in urban NC counties.
Rate per 10,000 Population Over Time, Metro and Rural, North Carolina

See how different health professions have grown over time.
The Population Structure of Health Professions in North Carolina

Look at the population structure for different health professions.
Maternal & Fetal Medicine FTEs per 10,000 Population By County

Maternal and Fetal Medicine physicians tend to be concentrated in metropolitan counties.
Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Physician Assistant (PA) Schools in North Carolina

How many nurse practitioner and physician assistant schools are in NC?
Since 2000, Growth of North Carolina's Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PA) Has Outpaced That of Physicians.

How rapidly have physicians, PAs, and NPs grown in rural and urban counties in NC?
Compared to Non-AHEC Residents, a Higher Percentage of NC AHEC Residents are Practicing in NC

Compared to non-AHEC residents, a higher percentage of NC AHEC residents are practicing in NC
Distribution of Psychiatrists Across North Carolina

Where are psychiatrists practicing in North Carolina?
North Carolina Psychologists by Age and Sex

A quarter of psychologists are 65 or older, but a large and mostly female cohort are earlier in their careers.
Which North Carolina counties have older populations?

What percentage of the residents in your county are 65 and older?
Aging of the Physician Workforce

The rural physician workforce is aging at a faster pace than the urban workforce.
Tracking the Workforce Outcomes of NC Medical Schools Five Years After Graduation: Class of 2012

How many graduates from NC medical schools were practicing in primary care in NC five years after graduating?
Mission Matters: In-State Retention of NC Medical School Graduates

Does a medical school's mission affect where its graduates practice?
NC's Public Medical Schools Retain More Graduates In-State Than Private Medical Schools Do.

Which medical schools retain the highest percentage of graduates in NC?
NC's Dentist Workforce Has Grown, But Only in Well-Supplied Counties

North Carolina added 551 new dentists between 2013 and 2017. Where did they go?
How has the physician supply changed over time in North Carolina counties?

Investigate the supply of North Carolina physicians with an interactive beeswarm plot.
NC Health Professionals are Less Racially and Ethnically Diverse than the General Population.

NC health professionals are less racially and ethnically diverse than the general population.
Most NC Health Care Jobs are in Allied Health, Nursing, or are Aides/Attendants

Most NC health care jobs are in allied health, nursing, or are aides/attendants
Rural residents who are 65 or older are increasing in both number and proportion.

Retirees will soon be more numerous than children in rural North Carolina.
NC Health Care Jobs Surpass Manufacturing Jobs in 2009

In 2009, employment in health care and social services surpassed employment in manufacturing.

About

Download Data

History of the Health Professions Data System

NC Health Professional Licensing Boards

North Carolina Health Professional Supply Data

Investigate the supply of health professionals in North Carolina.