Nurse leaders should work towards sustainable succession planning and invest in nurse education, says this CNO.
Ann Marie McDonald's journey into nursing originally began in Scotland.
After graduating from a diploma program from Glasgow Eastern College of Nursing and gaining clinical experience, she moved to the U.S. during a wave of international recruitment resulting from nursing shortages. She received her Master of Arts and Doctor of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University where she held an adjunct faculty position in the Nurse Executive Program. She became a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine in 2015, and is a member of American College of Healthcare Executives and holds certification as a Fellow.
With over 20 years of leadership experience, McDonald has extensive knowledge of federal quality programs including hospital inpatient outpatient quality reporting programs as well as hospital and ambulatory accreditation and certification programs. McDonald currently serves as the chief nurse executive and VP of quality and performance improvement at Hospital for Special Surgery where she responsible for advancing excellence in nursing and other clinical services across the system. She oversees the organization’s strategy for quality and patient safety and leads HSS to achieve excellence in the delivery and outcome of musculoskeletal patient care.
On our latest installment of The Exec, HealthLeaders speaks with McDonald 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
Workforce shortages and retention remain the top challenge for CNOs, requiring intentional strategies that prioritize nurse well-being, engagement, and long-term culture building.
Succession planning must be proactive and structured, with strong leadership development programs and internal pipelines to prepare the next generation of nurse leaders.
AI should be implemented as a human-centered tool that reduces administrative burden and enables nurses to work at the top of their license, enhancing care rather than replacing roles.