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3 Trends Keeping CNOs Up at Night

Analysis  |  By G Hatfield  
   April 22, 2024

Nurse leaders must come together to tackle these three main pain points in workforce development. 

2024 has been a wild ride in the world of healthcare so far. With increasing turnover rates and the rapid rise of new technologies pushing their way to the forefront, the question of how to address core issues becomes increasingly dizzying.  

In nursing, it's no different.  

Many nurse leaders are strategizing as best they can to deal with the growing nursing shortage and how to incorporate new innovative solutions for redesigning care models to fit the modern care needs of patients.  

From April 24 to 26, the members of the HealthLeaders CNO Exchange will be meeting in Miramar Beach, Florida, to talk about how to address the workforce development issues facing CNOs today.  

Strategic workforce planning

To combat the nursing shortage, CNOs need to develop a plan of action that involves several different components. Leaders must come up with new recruitment strategies that include promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as building pipelines through academic partnerships.  

Retention strategies must include how to build resiliency, and transition-to-practice programs that help situate new graduate nurses in their roles. Additionally, leaders must offer educational and personal growth opportunities, along with robust and competitive career paths.  

At the Exchange, the members will come up with new ideas to tackle these challenges as well as ideas for new innovative care models that have the potential for positive outcomes.  

Digital solutions 

Modern health systems should be up to speed on the best uses of AI and robotics, as well as successful methods of device integration. Leaders should be using data and analytics to support the nursing workforce and the nurse managers by minimizing the burden of documentation.  

In addition to workforce strategy, the Exchange members will brainstorm digital solutions to fill gaps and enhance nurse workflows. They will also discuss how to plan and execute virtual nursing models, and the constraints, outcomes, and ROI of using virtual technology.  

Leadership 

The key to all of these strategies is strong leadership. CNOs should be fostering teamwork between colleagues and nurse departments, and they should be able to clearly communicate with staff and build relationships with them.  

The Exchange members will discuss change management and how to get to a "Yes we can" culture. They will strategize ways to create healthier work environments by reducing staff assaults and implementing more effective patient behavior policies. Lastly, they will discuss C-suite trends and financial stewardship and come up with strategies that align the CNO with the CFO and improve performance metrics.  

Follow along to learn more about these topics and solutions for workforce development.  

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 Revenue Cycle Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com. 

G Hatfield is the nursing editor for HealthLeaders.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

CNOs are facing some of the most difficult workforce challenges that the nursing industry has ever seen, and it’s time to strategize.  

The CNO Exchange members are meeting to discuss strategic workforce planning, leadership, and digital solutions to address the current challenges. 


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