The signature event of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center, housed at UMSON, underscores the critical role of data-driven decision-making in shaping a resilient and sustainable nursing workforce.
“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”
W. Edwards Deming, an American composer and economist born in 1900, said that — and Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and chief executive office of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, reminded the audience of this quote during her keynote presentation at the 2025 State of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Symposium, held Oct. 24 at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON).
The symposium is the signature event of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center, housed at UMSON, and this year’s theme was “Data Trends and Future Readiness,” underscoring the critical role of data-driven decision-making in shaping a resilient and sustainable nursing workforce.
The symposium is a “vital space for us to really collaborate, think about innovations, think about how we promote and advocate together,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and professor, during her welcome to the audience, which included more than 160 nursing professionals, educators, policymakers, and health care leaders. “Hopefully you’ll meet somebody new and begin to forge a new partnership so that we can chart a bold path forward for nursing.”