We are proud to celebrate the successful accomplishments of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action and the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), both initiatives of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As we reflect on the journey we have shared to build a healthier America through nursing, we are filled with immense pride and gratitude for the remarkable achievements we have accomplished together. It is bittersweet for us to announce the sunsetting of the Campaign for Action and CCNA.

Since its launch in 2007, this collaboration has made great strides, driven by the unwavering dedication of colleagues, allies and volunteers like you. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones, improving the health of communities throughout the nation. We are grateful for the countless hours, enthusiasm, and energy you shared with us; you are the heart of the Campaign for Action and the reason for its success.

While the Campaign and CCNA are ending, the journey toward health equity through and within nursing continues. We are committed to harnessing the momentum we have built together to keep striving for a healthier nation.

We especially thank our state-based Action Coalitions, volunteer groups that stretched far beyond nursing and health care to include nearly 2,000 organizations, working together to make a difference in their communities. Thank you also to the visionary leaders who helped shape Campaign strategy as chairs of its Strategic Advisory Committee: Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN; Sheila P. Burke, MPA, BSN, FAAN; Daryl G. Kirch, MD; and Matt Longjohn, MD, MPH.

We also celebrate the innovative leadership of Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Susan C. Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, who built the unprecedented collaboration between the country’s largest philanthropy devoted to health (RWJF) and the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age (AARP). AARP Foundation, AARP and RWJF launched CCNA in 2007, and the Campaign in 2010, guided by two landmark nursing reports: the then-named Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. CCNA ran the Campaign for Action, and we are grateful for the many staff and volunteers who have contributed over the years.

CCNA and the Campaign produced results, in collaboration with our national and state champions, which include:

• Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia now allow nurse practitioners to provide care to the full extent of their education and training, giving 98 million people better access to care.
• Through the establishment of the Nurses on Boards Coalition in 2014, we improved the health of communities throughout the nation with more than 10,000 nurses now serving on boards and influencing the health of communities.
• The Campaign helped lead progress in diversifying the nursing workforce so that it more closely reflects the communities it serves, though more progress needs to be made.
• We have made tremendous gains in advancing nursing education, tripling the number of RN-to-BSN graduates between 2009 and 2017.
• We are also making strides in the work to support nurses in the workforce, including creating and scaling pathways to nursing and allied health careers, and addressing barriers to faculty and student retention, graduation, and nurse licensure passage rates, particularly for communities underrepresented in nursing.

Read the full list of accomplishments on the Campaign’s timeline.

As we celebrate Nurses Week, we are pleased to announce that AARP will continue its support of initiatives that improve access to care for consumers, recognize and value nurses at all levels and from all backgrounds, strengthen recruitment, retention and diversity of our nation’s nursing workforce, and foster opportunities for nursing career success. Additionally, we are collaborating with a number of organizations to ensure the sustainability of programs initiated by the Campaign. We will keep you updated as agreements are finalized.

There are many ways to stay involved and connected with opportunities to strengthen nursing and build a healthier America, and we share those options here. Please stay engaged and keep the momentum going!

Lastly, on Tuesday, May 27, we invite you to join us in a celebration of the Campaign’s accomplishments and future opportunities to advance health equity through nursing. We hope to see you there. Register at: https://events.aarp.org/healthequitynursing052725.

We thank you again for all you have done. With deepest gratitude,