CNOs must keep an open mind and try new things in the new year, according to this nurse leader.
As the saying goes, "new year, new beginnings."
It's 2025, and while there will be many new beginnings in healthcare, CNOs will also face some perpetual challenges that continue to rear their heads.
According to Robyn Begley, CEO of American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL), and senior vice president and CNO at the American Hospital Association (AHA), several of the biggest issues going into 2025 will be the same that the industry has seen for the past couple years.
Looking ahead
Begley emphasized that workplace violence will continue to be a challenge as CNOs continue to work diligently at strategies to protect patients and staff.
"Healthcare is not isolated from society," Begley said, "mitigating workplace violence and promoting workplace safety is really important."
Work-life balance and wellbeing will stay a priority in 2025 for nurse leaders, according to Begley. These challenges go hand in hand with staffing hurdles as well.
"Retirements and newly licensed nurses leaving the profession are things that we are actively working on," Begley said.
Begley predicts that health systems will continue having financial challenges.
"We know that many hospitals and health systems in our country are facing grave financial constraints," Begley said, "so that is also a challenge."
Additionally, Begley pointed out that the speedy implementation of new technologies and innovations presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
"The introduction of technology and innovation into care delivery settings is a challenge," Begley said, "but also [it's] really an opportunity for us to dig in and participate and get things right."
Working together
CNOs and nurse managers will have to work together to address these issues going into 2025, and according to Begley, communication is key.
"Communication, communication, communication," Begley said. "[Have] regular check-ins that are scheduled, that aren't just catch-as-catch-can, but really rise to the top from the perspective of importance."
Begley emphasized communication is critical at all levels of nursing, not just for nurse managers.
"We need opportunities for nurses to provide feedback," Begley said. "Policies have to be and are best set when they're developed jointly."
CNOs should develop policies and procedures with staff and managerial input while using data and analytics.
"We have the data…to make informed decisions," Begley said, "not just 'this is what we sort of intuitively know,' but what are those things that we have data and analytics to support?"
Advice for CNOs
CNOs should remember they won't get things right the first time, Begley emphasized.
"Perfect is the enemy of good," Begley said. "Many times, we want to roll out an initiative that we think we have accounted for all the possibilities, [and] we just want it to be perfect, and we know in life that that's not what happens."
In this digital age where technology is advancing so rapidly, Begley recommends keeping an open mind.
"I think we have to be open to the idea that this is going to be iterative and we're not going to…just hit the home run and everything's going to be perfect," Begley said, "and that's hard for nurses."
Begley suggested starting with small changes and seeing how they work, and collecting the input of frontline staff and nurse managers. CNOs should also partner with colleagues in digital transformation and IT.
Nurses will have to learn new competencies to keep up with changing technologies and change the way they think about delivering and experiencing healthcare.
"We have to remember what the impact is on our patients and their families," Begley said. "We have to embrace new technology, [and] embrace making care more patient-centric."
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In 2025, CNOs will continue to focus on workplace violence, wellbeing, and digital transformation.
Staffing challenges will persist as tenured nurses retire and new nurses leave their positions.
CNOs should partner with frontline staff, nurse managers, and colleagues in IT to determine the best way to integrate new technologies into workflows.