Nursing Excellence Award Focuses on the CNO’s Ability to Influence Change

Earlier this year, Sallie Latty, RN, BSN, MA, one of a pair of ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® (MRP) coordinators at St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis, set out on a very specific research project. As part of crafting the organization's application documentation for MRP recognition, her focus turned to the Source of Evidence Transformational Leadership, Advocacy and Influence (SOE TL-4). 

This requirement asks organizations to describe and demonstrate how the chief nursing officer is enabled to influence organization-wide changes. Latty devised an initial list of evidence and then reached out to her colleagues in the field for additional brainstorming ideas. 

"When I started writing, I talked about our CNO and how she was able to influence the organization through her participation in the board of the directors," says Latty, who provided meeting minutes, discussed presentations the CNO gave, and highlighted her attendance. 

She also focused on the CNO's job description. 

"Even though we include the overall job description in our organization overview, we took this opportunity in the SOE to highlight specific competencies," says Latty.

There are some administrators who have a reporting relationship to the president of the organization but also have a dotted-line reporting relationship to the CNO.

"In the SOE, I talked specifically about the level of expertise required of a CNO in our organization," says Latty. She focused on competencies that affect the ability to influence, such as: