A new clinician-led initiative is seeking to elevate nurse voices in Connecticut by gathering statewide data on wellness, retention, and psychological safety within the health care workforce. The Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project, in partnership with WenWell, has launched the first statewide nurse wellness survey designed and led by clinicians.

The 60-day survey will be open from February 26 through March 28, 2026, as part of the campaign “60 Days. 600 Voices.” Organizers say the effort addresses a longstanding gap in Connecticut health policy, noting that while more than 110,000 nurses practice statewide, decisions affecting nurse wellness have often been made without nurse-reported data.

“Despite years of conversation about burnout, staffing, and retention, Connecticut has not had nurse-reported, statewide data to guide action,” said Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, Founder of the Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project and WenWell. “This survey is about listening - with intention and accountability - so decisions about nurse wellness are shaped by the lived experience of nurses, not assumptions made about them.”

Early insights from a statewide nurse wellness roundtable point to systemic challenges, including staffing shortages, inconsistent support for wellness, and concerns about organizational culture. Findings from the survey will be reported only in aggregate and are intended to inform workforce planning, hospital leadership strategies, and statewide health initiatives.

“These early signals point to structural challenges, not individual failure,” Dr. Mayo added. “They reinforce why a broader, statewide data set is essential if we are serious about protecting the nursing workforce and the patients who depend on it.”

Connecticut nurses are invited to participate in the survey by visiting: ctstateofnursewellness.com