ICONS
Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics

About the Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics (ICONS)

The Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics (ICONS) is a cooperative forum of organizations and agencies that share a commitment to data and research on the nursing workforce. ICONS members represent federal agencies, professional associations, and other groups whose missions, goals, or strategic plans include a focus on nurses, nursing education, and the nursing workforce.

Mission

ICONS promotes the generation, coordination, and use of high-quality data and research related to the nursing workforce. By encouraging collaboration among agencies and organizations, ICONS seeks to strengthen the evidence base that informs policy and practice affecting nurses and the public they serve.

Goals

  • Foster communication and collaboration among organizations engaged in nursing workforce research.
  • Promote consistent definitions and standards for nursing data.
  • Support the development and dissemination of research on nurses and nursing education.
  • Encourage the use of data to inform policy and planning for the nursing workforce.

Membership

ICONS membership includes representatives from agencies and organizations that collect, analyze, or use data related to the nursing workforce. Members bring diverse perspectives from education, practice, research, and policy, and work together to identify shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration.

Member Roles

  • Share information on ongoing and planned data collection and research activities.
  • Identify gaps and needs in nursing workforce data.
  • Collaborate on projects that advance understanding of the nursing workforce.
  • Contribute to discussions on definitions, standards, and methodology.

Activities

ICONS activities may include meetings, workgroups, and collaborative projects focused on topics such as data standards, survey methodology, workforce projections, and the dissemination of research findings. Through these activities, ICONS seeks to enhance the quality, comparability, and usefulness of data about nurses and nursing education.

For more information about ICONS, including membership and current initiatives, please see the Membership, Member Info, Definitions, and Research sections of this site.