Rapid change and increasing complexity in healthcare has challenged nurse leaders to be courageous innovators as they evaluate, redesign, and implement “futuristic” patient-centered care delivery systems. Uniquely qualified by experience, position of influence, and a passion for delivering top-notch patient care, nurse executives no doubt have the ability to convert these challenges into opportunities.
In todays healthcare organizations, nurse leaders face issues such as patient safety and quality outcomes, health personnel shortages, creating a work environment that fosters professional nursing practice, large building projects, work flow redesign, reimbursement issues, new technologies, and the integration of clinical information with technology. These issues are even more important in cardiovascular services where competition for patients is on the rise and technology changes are prominent.
But, Corazon believes this plethora of challenges has given nurse leaders the opportunity to make major contributions to the future of healthcare through the creation of strategic partnerships with physicians using evidence-based solutions for improving patient care; with health policy makers who are beginning to understand the vital role of nurses in healthcare; with educators in order to support research and create bridges for novice to expert practice; with communities for prevention and health maintenance strategies; and with computer experts to hardwire patient safety and improve the work environment.
While all of these strategic partnerships are essential for a successful future in the delivery of quality patient care, partnerships with information technology specialists have transcended the others in its effectiveness to achieve rapid clinical transformation. Indeed, the nurse executives partnership with Information Technology (IT) has resulted in clinical information systems that contribute unique solutions to many of the issues plaguing hospitals and cardiovascular service lines. Patients today are supported by an extraordinary array of complicated systems, advanced technology and pharmaceuticals, along with an armada of highly-skilled professionals. While these advances can improve the overall hospital experience, they also introduce a complexity of care that is difficult to manage with human intellect alone.
The commitment of nurse leaders to an IT vision that facilitates provider access to patient information, ensures uniform standards of evidence-based care, and integrates clinical processes and work, has resulted in solutions for some of these key healthcare issues. In fact, nurse executives have been instrumental in activating Cardiac Information Systems (CIS) that have improved patient safety and quality, increased efficiency and patient satisfaction, improved recruitment and retention of talented clinicians, and employee satisfaction.
Many hospitals aspire to achieve “Magnet” statusa quest that has nurtured and accelerated the much-sought-after collaboration between nursing education leaders and the leaders of nursing practice in hospitals. An important component is partnering and building relationships with physicians, along with education; so, now more than ever, nurse executives have become personally involved and have frequent interactions with faculty and nursing students to explore opportunities for collaboration. Such involvement has led to the identification of funds for nursing scholarships from hospital auxiliary boards, hospital-based skills laboratories, individualized orientations with quality preceptors, and programs to socially assimilate new staff into the organizations nursing culture. These efforts have developed strong bonds and open communication between hospital administrative staff and the faculty of nursing programs, which will be important to addressing difficult issues and challenges in the future.
It is evident that nurse executives have and will continue to transform care and influence the future of the healthcare industry through self-dedication, individual commitment and passion, as well as knowledge to address critical issues of patient care. Let us all congratulate and praise those professional nurses that passionately care for patents at the bedside as well as those nursing leaders that passionately create an environment for the delivery of quality patient care, not only on this annual week celebrating nurses, but every day.
