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.
In a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and principles are under fire, it's important for CNOs to understand the full scope of the issue.
Despite the scrutiny from the Trump Administration and the many executive orders targeting DEI programs, nurses still show up every day to care for patients from every walk of life.
Nursing itself is a diverse profession, and diversity in nursing helps improve patient outcomes. CNOs need to know the data if they want to make a case for continuing to promote diversity in their organizations.
Leaders should include frontline nurses when developing new protocols, says this CNO.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Nicole Telhiard, chief nursing officer at Our Lady of the Lake Health, about how other CNOs can go about implementing sepsis protocols in their emergency departments. Tune in to hear her insights.
CNOs and other nurse leaders need to get involved in policy and advocacy so that nurses can be the ones leading the way for legislative change.
In the latest edition of HealthLeaders' The Winning Edge webinar series, a panel of nurse leaders discussed how to collaborate with professional organizations, educate policymakers, and drive nursing-forward agendas that impact patient care, healthcare equity, and workforce development and sustainability.
The panel included three key takeaways: the nursing policies that CNOs should be aware of, ways to get involved in the legislative process, and how to use storytelling and data to drive home the point with policymakers.
Knowing how to communicate with legislators and governing bodies is an essential part of nursing advocacy.
When it comes to participation in the legislative process, it's important to identify and build relationships with local, state, and federal policymakers.
CNOs should know who the decision-makers are and what committees they are on, and try to become their subject matter experts who they can call upon to discuss nursing-related issues.
Storytelling and data are the keys to successful advocacy efforts, say these nurse leaders.
Legislators play a key role in nursing practice, from scope of practice to workplace violence prevention to patient care delivery. But right now, most of the elected officials making decisions about nursing policy are not nurses.
According to a 2023 study, the number of nurses serving as legislators has declined from 2013. In 2023, there were only 72 nurse legislators in 36 states. According to the American Nurses Association, there are only three nurses currently serving in the United States Congress.
As this year progresses under a new administration with new ideas about legislation and policy, it’s more important than ever that CNOs and other nurse leaders get involved so that nurses can be the ones leading the way for legislative change.
The panel included three key points about nursing policy and legislation.
Key nursing policies
There are several critical areas of focus for nursing legislation, the first being workplace violence. Nurses experience some of the highest rates of workplace violence out of any profession. According to a National Nurses United report, eight in 10 nurses experienced at least one type of workplace violence between 2023 and 2024. The panelists emphasized that nurse leaders should be aware of the SAVE Act, which would make it a crime to knowingly assault or intimidate healthcare employees at work.
Additionally, the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will mean dire things for rural hospitals and health systems, and many patients previously enrolled in Medicaid will lose access to coverage. The panelists emphasized that nurse leaders must speak up about the impact of this bill on the most vulnerable patients and communities, and the downstream effect that it will have on nursing practice and care delivery.
CNOs also need to pay attention to legislation regarding rules around telehealth, advanced practice nurses, and mandated staffing ratios. Additionally, leaders must keep tabs on legislation that might have a secondary effect on nursing, even if it seems like there won't be a direct impact. That includes any piece of legislation regarding childcare or other things that impact a nurse's ability to participate in the workforce.
Ways to get involved
When it comes to participation in the legislative process, the panelists recommended identifying and building relationships with local, state, and federal policymakers. CNOs should know who the decision-makers are and what committees they are on, and try to become their subject matter experts who they can call upon to discuss nursing-related issues.
The panelists also emphasized that CNOs should also get involved with hospital associations and explore what their mission and values are, and how they can work together to make progress. Many organizations also have government relations teams who can partner with CNOs on nursing issues and help navigate conversations with legislators.
CNOs should also build pipelines for newer generations of nurses who are inspired and want to get involved in advocacy. It's critical that nurse leaders foster a sense of confidence among nurses to stand up and have a voice.
Driving home the point
Lastly, there are two key strategies to use when speaking to legislators: data and storytelling. The panelists recommended presenting the data from a policymaker's constituency and the health system's community. Metrics to keep in mind include turnover rates, workplace violence numbers, patient outcomes and experience, nurse vacancies, and nurse sensitive indicators.
Storytelling is also a powerful tool, especially when combined with data, the panelists explained. Policymakers often don't understand the nuances and intricacies of being a nurse, and storytelling conveys the passion and the importance of why these issues matter. CNOs should also consider doing their advocacy work in person, when possible, to further communicate the subject's importance and to build better relationships with lawmakers.
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
CNOs must learn the different ways to get involved in the legislative process to make the nursing industry better.
Now more than ever, it's time for the voice of nursing to enter the conversation.
Policymakers should have the input of nurse leaders when making decisions about whether to support legislation that will impact nursing. As lawmakers proceed with healthcare-related bills, it's critical that CNOs give their input and use their position to advocate for patients and the nursing workforce.
There are several pieces of federal legislation that healthcare executives should be paying attention to, including the PRECEPT Act and the I CAN Act. The PRECEPT Nurses Act aims to instate a tax credit for nurses who successfully serve as nurse preceptors for nursing students. The I CAN Act would remove federal barriers in Medicare and Medicaid programs that prevent APRNs from practicing to their fullest extent. CNOs should also keep tabs on the state and local legislative sessions and advocate for laws that will greatly impact their workforce and community.
According to the HealthLeaders CNO Exchange members, there are several ways that CNOs can get involved in political advocacy. First and foremost, CNOs should brush up on their knowledge of how laws are made and educate themselves on policy issues. The second step is for CNOs to ask for support from their peers and join policy circles. Lastly, CNOs should visit their legislators in their communities, attend town halls, and leverage their votes.
Getting more involved
CNOs should be able to collaborate with professional organizations, educate policymakers, and drive nursing-forward agendas that impact patient care, healthcare equity, and workforce development and sustainability.
But where do you start?
The next webinar in our Winning Edge series will explore the various issues and pieces of legislation that nurse leaders should be advocating for. Join us to learn about the different ways that CNOs can get involved in the legislative process to make the nursing industry better.
Nurses play a critical role in preventing sepsis, through early detection, infection control, and patient education, and CNOs must be prepared.
HealthLeaders spoke to Nicole Telhiard, chief nursing officer at Our Lady of the Lake Health, about the health system's new nurse-led sepsis protocol in the emergency department. Tune in to hear her insights.
Nurse turnover can be extremely costly for health systems, and CNOs must do their best to combat it.
From an economic perspective, it's expensive for health systems to operate under workforce shortages.
Labor costs are higher across the country in every aspect of healthcare, and having to fill gaps in the nursing workforce with agency nurses and overtime pay is also costly.
Happy nurse, happy patient - that's why wellbeing is important, says this CNO.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Dr. Brad Goettl, chief nursing officer at the American Nurses Enterprise, about how nurse wellbeing contributes to the growth and sustainability of healthcare organizations. Tune in to hear his insights.
