CNOs are coming together to face three challenges that are heavily impacting the nursing industry.
This year started off with a bang for healthcare and the chaos has continued. From the ever-changing landscape of technology to the uncertainty surrounding healthcare policy, CNOs have a lot to consider when thinking about the future of the nursing industry.
Many nurse leaders are nervous about AI implementation and how to move forward with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, all while addressing the typical staffing and wellbeing concerns.
From April 14-16, the members of the HealthLeaders CNO Exchange will meet in Nashville, Tennessee, to talk about how to meet these challenges head-on.
Virtual nursing and AI
To fill in workforce gaps, health systems everywhere have been implementing virtual nursing and AI technologies.
Virtual nursing allows nurses to spend more time at the bedside while alleviating administrative and documentation burdens, such as admissions and discharges. As virtual nursing becomes the standard of care across the industry, the Exchange participants will discuss what comes next for virtual nursing, how to measure outcomes, and how to overcome implementation barriers.
AI is still a nebulous concept for many, with endless possibilities and opportunities for use. However, there are some serious concerns among nurse leaders about documentation errors, lack of transparency, and deskilling among the workforce. The Exchange members will also discuss how to properly implement AI into nursing workflows and how it should be controlled and regulated.
Policy and advocacy
Many CNOs are unsure how to proceed with policy as the Trump administration continues to throw executive orders at the wall to see which ones stick. As of right now, nothing regarding DEI policy has been made illegal, but with so much public scrutiny of the term, health systems are already taking steps to comply with what might happen.
At the Exchange, the participants will discuss how nurses and nurse leaders can get involved with policy and lawmakers to advocate for the nursing profession. For instance, CNOs must connect with their representatives and build those relationships so that legislators have nursing experts that they can turn to when making policy decisions.
Succession planning
Lastly, CNOs are struggling to build the next generation of leaders due to labor shortages, retention challenges, and the aging workforce.
The Exchange participants will discuss how to find and encourage nurses to go into leadership and how to incorporate mentorship and training time into staff schedules. They will brainstorm ways to find diverse, highly-qualified candidates, and ways to partner with nursing programs to present leadership as a desirable career path.
Lastly, the members will share how they are funding succession planning initiatives and getting buy-in from CFOs, CEOs, and HR leadership. There's lots more to come from this year's CNO Exchange, so stay tuned for more coverage.
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
To inquire about attending a HealthLeaders CNO Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Exchange participants will discuss what comes next for virtual nursing, how to measure outcomes, and how to overcome implementation barriers.
Members will talk about how nurses and nurse leaders can get involved with policy and lawmakers to advocate for the nursing profession.
Nurse leaders will also brainstorm ways to find and encourage nurses to go into leadership and how to incorporate mentorship and training time into staff schedules.