Loyola University Medical Center’s new chief nursing officer, Teresa Rasmussen, DNP, RN, began her career not in a hospital ward but in the library. Now, more than two decades later, she is leading the Maywood, Ill.-based hospital’s nursing workforce, bringing a deep commitment to empowering front-line caregivers.
Stepping into the role at a time when health systems nationwide are grappling with workforce shortages, burnout and capacity constraints, Dr. Rasmussen is focused on strengthening nurse retention, breaking down silos between departments and ensuring technology serves clinicians.
She shared her top priorities, how Loyola is tackling patient flow challenges and the nursing issues she believes deserve more attention.
Question: You started your career at Loyola as a library assistant more than 20 years ago. What piqued your interest in nursing, and how has that early experience shaped your leadership style today?
Dr. Teresa Rasmussen: My journey into nursing started when I was 4 years old, long before I ever stepped into the profession. My mom was a night shift nurse at Loyola University Medical Center for nearly 30 years. Growing up, I heard her stories, saw her dedication and knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps. After graduating from nursing school in 2006, I started my career in the neuroscience ICU — just down the hall from my mom. I also wanted to understand the mind like my dad, a clinical psychologist, making neuroscience nursing the perfect blend of both of my inspirations.
Early in my career, I was drawn to leadership — not because I sought a title, but because I saw how nurse leaders can shape the experiences of both their teams and their patients. My time as a charge nurse, preceptor and Magnet committee chair taught me that leadership isn’t about authority; it’s about supporting, developing and advocating for others. As I progressed from an assistant nurse manager to a nurse manager to an executive director and now CNO, I’ve carried that same mindset — one rooted in both servant and transformational leadership, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to our nurses.
I lead with the belief that every role in our hospital matters, a lesson I learned firsthand when I started in the Loyola Health Sciences Library. Whether at the bedside or in the C-suite, my focus remains the same: creating an environment where nurses feel empowered, supported and valued. LUMC has invested in me at every stage of my career, and now I’m committed to giving back, fostering a culture where nurses can thrive and patients receive the best care possible.
At my core, I’m still the same nurse who wanted to take care of people. That hasn’t changed. The only difference now is that my focus has expanded — not just to patients, but to the incredible nurses and teams who make LUMC what it is. I’m humbled to serve as the CNO of LUMC, a place that has shaped both my career and my life.
Q: What is your top priority in your first year as chief nurse at Loyola University Medical Center? Where do you hope to have made a measurable impact when you look back in January 2026?
TR: My top priority in this first year as CNO is clear: retaining, supporting and empowering all nurses while fostering stronger collaboration across teams.
Nurses are the foundation of patient care, but they can’t do it alone. Breaking down silos and strengthening collaboration between nursing, physicians and all hospital departments is critical to improving both the work environment and patient outcomes. My focus is on creating an environment where nurses feel valued, heard and supported — not just in words, but in action. That means addressing burnout, providing career growth opportunities and fostering a culture of teamwork. A key part of this is reinforcing shared governance, ensuring that nurses at all levels have a voice in decision-making and are active participants in shaping policies and practices that impact their daily work.
By January 2026, I want to see real progress: higher retention, stronger well-being initiatives, more nurses stepping into leadership roles and a more unified approach to patient care. Most of all, I want LUMC to be a place where nurses don’t just stay but thrive, working alongside colleagues in a culture that prioritizes both collaboration and excellence in patient care.
Q: Many health systems are struggling with capacity constraints, from full EDs to delays in post-acute transitions. How is the hospital working to improve patient flow and ensure timely access to care, and what role do nurses play in these efforts?
TR: Like many health systems across the country, LUMC faces real challenges with capacity constraints, from an overburdened ED to delays in moving patients to the right level of care.
Patient flow isn’t just about beds and numbers; it’s about ensuring that patients get the right care, at the right time and in the right place. That takes coordination, communication and innovation, and nurses are leading that work every day. Whether it’s triaging patients efficiently in the ED, expediting discharges or working closely with care management, nurses are the driving force behind getting patients where they need to be.
At LUMC, we’re tackling these challenges head-on by enhancing discharge coordination and streamlining patient flow. Daily throughput huddles, led by our regional patient placement and transfer center, bring together unit leaders, care management, transition-in-care nurses and ancillary testing leaders to proactively identify and address discharge barriers in real time.
In addition, we conduct daily WIND rounds (What Is Needed for Discharge) on every acute care unit, ensuring that teams stay aligned on discharge goals, anticipate potential delays and keep care moving efficiently. These efforts not only help minimize the length of stay and improve throughput but also ensure that patients transition smoothly to the next phase of their care.
Q: Hospitals are increasingly adopting AI and automation to ease the workload on front-line staff. What role do you see technology playing in nursing at Loyola, and how do you ensure it enhances, rather than complicates, clinical practice?
TR: Technology should never replace the human touch in nursing; it should enhance it. At LUMC, we’re embracing AI and automation not as a substitute for clinical expertise, but as a way to ease the workload on front-line staff and give nurses more time to focus on what matters most: patient care.
One of the biggest frustrations for nurses today isn’t the work itself, it’s the extra layers of documentation, redundant tasks and inefficiencies that pull them away from the bedside. That’s where AI can make a real difference. Whether it’s automating routine documentation, using predictive analytics to anticipate patient deterioration or optimizing staffing models to better match patient needs, technology has the potential to be a game changer.
That said, we have to be thoughtful about implementation. Too often new technology is introduced with good intentions but ends up creating more complexity instead of solving problems. That’s why it’s critical that nurses have a voice in how these tools are designed and integrated into workflows.
Q: What trends or challenges in nursing do you feel aren’t getting enough attention today?
TR: Staffing shortages and burnout get a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But there are deeper challenges that profoundly impact nurses and the care they provide.
Workplace violence is a major concern. Too many nurses face verbal abuse, threats or physical harm while simply doing their job. The most troubling part is that many feel it’s just part of the profession. It shouldn’t be. We need stronger policies, better enforcement and a culture that prioritizes staff safety as much as patient safety.
We also need to focus on retaining midcareer nurses, the mentors and leaders who anchor our workforce. Too often, they feel stuck, lacking career growth opportunities or flexibility to stay in bedside care without burning out. If we don’t invest in them, we risk losing critical experience when we need it most.
Moral distress is another silent burden. Nurses regularly face ethical dilemmas, from navigating resource limitations to witnessing disparities in care. Without structured support, these challenges take an emotional toll. Leadership must listen and provide spaces for nurses to process these realities.
Lastly, health equity should be a bigger focus. Nurses see firsthand how social determinants impact patient outcomes, yet we don’t always have the tools or training to address them. To close these gaps, we need to empower nurses to advocate, not just at the bedside but at the policy level.
Nursing isn’t just a job, it’s about making an impact. To strengthen the profession, we must address these challenges with the same urgency as staffing and burnout. By supporting nurses, we elevate patient care and create a more resilient, sustainable healthcare system.