In 2011, the Maryland Action Coalition (MDAC) was founded in response to the Center to Champion Nursing's call that all states form an action coalition to implement the Institute of Medicine's (IOM, 2011) Future of Nursing recommendations. Since its founding, the MDAC, a volunteer-based organization, has brought together nearly 150 nurses, key non-nurse stakeholders, and diverse nursing organizations from across Maryland. The MDAC is working on academic progression, showcased in this article; removing barriers to scope of practice for all nurses; nominating nurse leaders for appointment to state commissions and working groups; and promoting a culture of health initiatives.MDAC's ongoing focus, to ensure that the state has a welleducated nursing workforce, is critical given that Maryland is predicted to be one of four states that will experience a shortage of 10,000 or more registered nurses (RNs) in 2025, with a projected shortfall of 12,100 RNs. The other states are Arizona, with a projected shortfall of 28,100, North Carolina, with 12,900, and Colorado, with 12,900 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). Coupled with working with policy makers, nursing organizations, and media to bring attention to the 10,000-nurse shortage and workforce trends, the academic progression strategy creates a relevant plan of action to increase enrollment in schools throughout the state.The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) academic progression and statewide nursing articulation model work are supported by two Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Statewide Implementation Project grants and through numerous grants funded by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission Nurse Support Program II (NSPII). The NSPII funding is unique to Maryland and supports nursing education programs to advance initiatives related to the Future of Nursing recommendations.MDAC provided some of the matching funding for the RWJF Statewide Implementation Project grants. The funding supports a purposeful review of Maryland's articulation model in order to develop a prototype reflective of current academic practices and the development of a statewide strategic plan that ensures diversity and inclusivity in the nursing workforce. As academic progression initiatives grow, it is important that diverse students are encouraged and supported as they embark on a nursing career. Strategic partnerships and private funding support are being sought as this work matures in order to continue the progress begun by these grants.Maryland has five options for the pursuit of an RN career: 1) The University System of Maryland (USM) includes five public universities (Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Salisbury University, Towson University, and University of Maryland School of Nursing [UMSON] at Baltimore) that offer entry-level baccalaureate degrees in nursing (BS/BSN). 2) Five private universities offer the entrylevel BSN (Hood College, Morgan State University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Stevenson University, and Washington Adventist University). All of the BS/BSN programs are offered by 4-year degree-granting institutions, with the exception of UMSON, which is an upper-division program. 3) Coppin State University and Salisbury University also offer an accelerated BSN program for persons who have a baccalaureate degree in another discipline. 4) There are also two master's entry-level nursing programs in Maryland (the John Hopkins University School of Nursing and UMSON) for persons who have a baccalaureate degree in another discipline. 5) Sixteen community colleges offer AD programs in nursing.The Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) reports that 1,202 new BS/BSN and master's entry program graduates and 1,557 graduates from ADN programs took the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN®) for the first time between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 (MBON, 2016). Of the 2,759 candidates, 2,285 or 83 percent passed (see Table 1 for a historical overview). …