Aspiring CNOs should take these steps to gain perspective as future leaders, says this CNO.
CNOs play an integral role in nursing.
They act as the voice for nurses in the executive space, advocating for investment in new programs that can better the patient care environment. CNOs carry the entire weight of the nursing workforce, and it's not without challenges.
According to Gay Landstrom, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Trinity Health, CNOs are critical because they can provide insights for the entire nursing team, since they are responsible for all aspects of nursing care.
"It just makes so much sense that the leader that has responsibility for much of the product that we're producing,” Landstrom said. “That care, that experience for patients and all those caregivers; you want them [CNOs] to be at your executive table so that everyone on the executive team has a deep understanding of the patient and those that care for them each day."
CNOs bring what others can't
If CNOs weren't at the table, Landstrom explained, the C suite would lack valuable perspectives and information.
"There would be so much missing information, so much missing perspective when it comes to setting strategy or determining how to improve operations," Landstrom said. "You would just be missing some of the most vital information about your operation and about the care that you deliver."
CNOs must share their perspectives and insights about nursing, since it's vital to patient care. To Landstrom, however, it's not just about advocating. Listening and seeking understanding opens the door for advocacy.
"For the chief nursing officer to really be a vital and vibrant part of that executive team, they also need to listen," Landstrom said. "They need to hear the perspective of others on the executive team to understand what they're concerned about as well."
Building C suite relationships
Another key aspect of being a part of the C suite is relationship building. CNOs need to become translators, according to Landstrom.
"You absolutely need to build personal relationships with other members of your executive team," Landstrom said, "but it also means that you need to learn enough about strategy to speak strategy language and understand strategy language."
It's critical that CNOs understand all the financial elements of their organizations, including challenges with reimbursement, billing, and revenue cycle. In exchange, CNOs should translate information about clinical matters to non-clinical executives such as CEOs and CFOs.
To communicate better with those executives, Landstrom recommends that CNOs begin with identifying gaps.
"I think it's important to start with what [we're] trying to accomplish," Landstrom said. "Starting with what we agree on needs to be accomplished, and then being really gracious in sharing what you know, and teaching."
Advice for upcoming CNOs
In 2025, many CNOs will be focusing on succession planning and growing the next generation of nurse leaders. According to Landstrom, there are several key things that nurses must learn in preparation to become a CNO.
"An individual does not just arrive in that important role automatically being able to be successful," Landstrom said. "It's important to learn things before you step in that seat and continue learning all throughout your time as a chief nurse."
Landstrom recommends that nurses who want to become CNOs experience other areas of clinical care besides acute care.
"Other services outside of acute care are really growing and I think will continue to grow in the coming years," Landstrom said. "If a CNO's experience is completely in the acute care setting, then they really need to ask for and seek some other learning experiences in other parts of the continuum."
For example, aspiring CNOs should get to know the challenges of home healthcare, palliative care, and senior care, and why those services are important for different populations.
"An aspiring CNO should learn all they can about that, and about payment systems, and what some of the challenges are now and will likely be in the future," Landstrom said. "All of those things are important to learn to gain a really broad perspective and the ability to strategize, [make] improvements, [and innovate] in the care delivery system."
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
CNOs must listen, seek understanding, and share their perspectives and insights about nursing.
It's critical that CNOs understand all the financial elements of their organizations, including challenges with reimbursement, billing, and revenue cycle.
Aspiring CNOs should get to know the challenges of home healthcare, palliative care, and senior care, and why those services are important for different populations.