Nursing Research and Sponsored Programs is pleased to highlight this past month’s Featured Publication by Clinical Professor Dr. Roberta Pawlak, PhD, RN, NEA-BC!
Dr. Pawlak and her UW-Madison School of Nursing team recently completed analysis of the Wisconsin 2024 Registered Nurse Workforce Survey for the Wisconsin Center for Nursing’s biennial report. Over 93,000 survey responses were analyzed. The report highlights the demographic makeup of Wisconsin’s RN workforce—predominantly White (92.7%) and female (91.5%)—with a notable rise in Hispanic/Latinx representation. Most Wisconsin RNs are employed in hospitals and ambulatory care, with a growing number working remotely with patients. Educationally, over half hold a BSN, while interest in further education has declined due to cost and other barriers. However, the report also notes a significant increase in DNP attainment among nurses from historically marginalized groups. Wisconsin saw growth in all advanced practice nurse (APN) specialties, with substantially more APNs specializing in psychiatric-mental health than in 2022. Eighteen percent of APNs hold a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), reflecting an upward trend in advanced degrees. Additional topics analyzed include geographic variations, nurses serving in leadership roles and faculty roles, Wisconsin RN income, AI use, and impact of COVID-19.
Dr. Pawlak’s School of Nursing team highlighted in this Featured Publication includes Drs. Katie Gillespie, Jessica Leiber, Kristen Merss, and Jeffrey Henriques; PhD student David Tucker; and DNP students Joshua Hermsdorf, Desiree Bishop, and Laura Vergenz.
Pawlak, R., Gillespie, K., Leiberg, J., Merss, K., Henriques, J., Hermsdorf, J., Tucker, D., Bishop, D. & Vergenz, L. (2025). Wisconsin 2024 RN Survey Report. Wisconsin Center for Nursing, Inc.
All authors affiliated with UW-Madison School of Nursing.