Workforce, workplace violence, healthcare equity, and succession planning are some of the biggest issues in nursing, says this CNO.
Growing up, Terry Dillman knew she wanted to help people.
After experiencing a medical emergency in her family when she was a teenager and witnessing what nurses were capable of, she decided she wanted to be a nurse. Dillman received her nursing degree from Queensborough College. In 2009, she went on to obtain her BSN, MSN, and MHA. She finished her doctorate in 2023 and has obtained her Nurse Executive certification.
Dillman joined Northwell Health as an emergency department nurse, sexual assault nurse examiner and has grown over the years in multiple roles including, assistant manager of the NSUH ED, administrator for hospital operations, PACU manager, director of perioperative services, director of cardiac services, and Magnet director. Under Theresa's purview, Lenox Hill, MEETH and LHGV achieved Magnet designation with multiple exemplars. Prior to her role as AED/CNO, she oversaw the strategy and execution for Magnet, education, research, and wound and ostomy teams.
Dillman now serves as VP and CNO at Plainview Hospital and Syosset Hospital, and has a passion for releasing nursing leadership growth and creating an atmosphere of support and transparency, seeking to learn and partner with others to develop high performance teams.
On our latest installment of The Exec, HealthLeaders speaks with Dillman about her journey into nursing, and her thoughts on trends in the nursing industry. Tune in to hear her insights.
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
CNOs should consider partnering with educational institutions at every level to offer career pathways into nursing, beginning as early as elementary school when possible.
Nurse leaders should work with security and facilities to design safer buildings with lit access points and no blindspots to increase workplace violence incident response times.
CNOs must keep an open mind about new technologies and make it clear to nurses that they are meant to reduce burden and not to replace them.