A logo with the words 'FCN' in blue on the left 
a graphic of the state of Florida in yellow in the middle 
and the words 'FLORIDA CENTER FOR NURSING' in blue on the right.

Hello, and welcome to the December newsletter.


In this issue:

  • New FCN Research
  • Virtual Community Forum
  • National Forum Abstracts
  • FCN Hiring
  • Upcoming Events
  • Nursing History
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Community Engagement Tour Report: Data, Dialogue, and Direction 

On November 19, the Florida Center for Nursing released a new in-depth report outlining recommendations to strengthen and sustain Florida’s nursing workforce.


The Community Engagement Tour Report: Data, Dialogue, and Direction distills months of on-the-ground conversations with nurses, educators, and health care leaders across Florida’s eight regions into an actionable roadmap for driving policy solutions and efforts to build a resilient workforce. 

Among the report’s key findings is that nurses across Florida do not feel safe at work. The threat of workplace violence affects the recruitment and retention of nurses.


“We cannot keep asking our nurses to work in environments where they are not safe."

- Feedback from the Northeast Region during the Community Engagement Tour


Report recommendation:

Strengthen support systems with workplace violence prevention programs. 

The comprehensive report addresses the full scale of Florida’s nursing shortage challenges and outlines a series of short- and long-term strategies to stabilize and grow the workforce. 


Visit flcntr.org/Community-Engagement-Tour-Report or click the button below to read the full report.

PMHNP Virtual Community Forum

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Virtual Community Forum

On December 11, the Florida Center for Nursing and the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce will host a virtual community forum, Florida Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners: Roles and Opportunities in Our Behavioral Health System of Care.


The forum will explore:

  • the importance of behavioral health services in Florida
  • the essential role of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) in meeting these needs.


Visit bit.ly/PMHNPforum or click the button below to register for the virtual forum.

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Call for Abstracts

The National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers is seeking abstracts for 25-minute podium presentations or posters for the 2026 annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 22-24. All abstracts will be evaluated based on their alignment to this year's theme, Illuminating the Future: Solutions for Tomorrow’s Nursing Workforce.


The deadline for abstracts is February 1, 2026. Submitters will be notified of decisions March 15, 2026.


Visit nursingworkforcecenters.org/annual-conference/ for more information.

Work with the FCN

The Florida Center for Nursing is searching for two new members to join the FCN staff.

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Key Responsibilities


- Conduct hands-on research


- Integrate analytics with health, licensure, and education data


- Collaborate with a dedicated team to address Florida's nursing workforce issues


- Drive workforce planning and policy




Apply here: flcntr.org/research-specialist

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Key Responsibilities


- Lead program development, evaluation, and budget oversight

- Drive continuing education initiatives for nurses

- Produce impactful scholarship and policy dissemination

- Collaborate with academic, clinical, and community partners

- Represent the FCN at state and national conferences (~50% travel)


Apply here: flcntr.org/associate-director

Upcoming Events

The Florida Center for Nursing hopes to see you at these upcoming events.

An image with a column of upcoming events Florida Center for Nursing will attend with text in yellow at the bottom left and a calendar page on the bottom right. The background of the photo is dark blue.

Upcoming FCN Events

CommHIT25, December 5, Kennedy Space Center, FL

  • Florida Center for Nursing Executive Director Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN, FAAN, will attend and connect with members of the CommHIT community.


Florida Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners: Roles and Opportunities in Our Behavioral Health System of Care, December 11, Virtual

  • The Florida Center for Nursing and the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce will host this virtual community forum to examine PMHNP workforce data, discuss challenges and opportunities, and propose actionable recommendations.


National Forum State Subscriber Retreat, January 6-7, 2026, Tampa, FL

  • Dr. Letourneau will attend and connect with fellow National Forum subscribers

This Month in Nursing History

Annie Goodrich

Annie Goodrich with faculty and nursing students at the 25th anniversary celebration of the School of Nursing on February 5, 1949.

On December 31, 1954, Annie Goodrich died. The inaugural dean for the world's first graduate program in nursing at Yale University and Yale's first female dean, Goodrich was known as "the mother of nursing education."


Goodrich's life was dedicated to establishing nursing programs and revolutionizing how nurses are educated. After her 11 years at Yale, she helped organize the Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II.

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Thank you for reading! If you have feedback or comments, please email flcenterfornursing@usf.edu or click the button below.

Was this email forwarded to you? Visit flcntr.org/signup to subscribe.

About the Florida Center for Nursing


The Florida Center for Nursing is established to research and address issues of supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse workforce resources. The vision of the FCN is to ensure that the health care needs of the residents and visitors of Florida are met by a competent and sufficient nursing workforce.


The FCN is proudly headquartered at the University of South Florida College of Nursing.


Click the button below to learn more about the Florida Center for Nursing.

 
 
 
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