With a new year comes new goals, resolutions and aspirations for leaders across the nation. Chief nursing officers are facing many crises and priorities in the new year, from staff shortages to burnouts to a fake nursing degree scheme.
With so many obstacles to face, many chief nursing officers are feeling the pressure of picking the right goals for the year.
Becker's asked four chief nursing officers the one thing they will start doing in 2023.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Meredith Foxx, MSN, APRN. Executive Chief Nursing Officer of Cleveland Clinic: In 2023, I am restarting regular reading for pleasure. I have always loved to read, but haven't consistently made time for it through the years. Back in 2006, I joined a book club that started with fellow Cleveland Clinic caregivers. I've enjoyed the reading aspect and the camaraderie of the group. When I am reading a good book, I find that my mind is focused in that moment. I'm currently reading my fifth book this year!
Something I am trying to do less of this year is multitasking. I want to be more present in whatever I am doing in the moment. Reading has helped me with this.
Anita Girard, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Officer & Vice President of Nursing at Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles): As a CNO of a major academic medical center, in 2023 I am focusing on leadership development at all levels of care. During COVID-19, we focused primarily on the moment and what we were going to do next to have capacity for the patients requiring care. Now we are building standardized approaches to care and making sure we are caring for each other. At Cedars-Sinai, we are creating a single voice for nursing, really empowering leaders to think beyond the moment and focus on how we innovate as we move forward in our profession and healthcare.
Andrea Hauser, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Acute Care Nursing at Bellin and Gundersen Health System (La Crosse, Wis.): This year we reignite the voice of the nurse! And, in turn, elevate patient care and experience. Walking with nurses, experiencing their work — the good AND the bad — listening to their ideas and helping them contribute to the future of care delivery is necessary so we can create bonds with our patients to address their unique care needs. Our patients should feel so good about their care that they wouldn't think of getting it anywhere else. We want nurses to feel the same way about where they work. We strive to be a destination for the best possible care and the preferred place to provide care, learn and grow professionally.
Steve Polega, BSN, RN. Chief Nursing Officer at University of Michigan Health-West (Wyoming, Mich.): I have started to prioritize time to get to the gym and workout. We work hard as leaders to help our teams get balance, but many times, we don't follow our own advice. We can't serve others if we don't take care of ourselves. I had a wise coach and friend who repeatedly shared this with me: "You can't pour from an empty cup."