As healthcare technology transforms at a rapid pace, nurse leaders have had to add the role of digital guide to their playbook. Innovative tools such as surveillance boards and remote monitoring help nurses meet patient needs swiftly. However, the success of these tools depends on how nurses choose to embrace the change. This is where nurse leaders step in.
Out of the six, new American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s (AONL) Nurse Leader Guiding Principles for Digital Transformation & Core Competencies, I find knowledge to be the most important guiding principle when leading modern nursing teams; knowledge such as how to effectively lead, how to leverage a team’s unique experience, and how technology affects the nursing practice. A nurse leader not only brings expertise and awareness to an organization, but serves as a cornerstone for digital change.
Plan your strategy
There are tools and technology to enhance the art and science of nursing, but the power of them depends on how they’re introduced. The success of any operational transformation requires an effective change management process. It involves preparation, planning, implementation, reinforcement, and analysis. In other words, the support does not stop after a go LIVE — in actuality, the time after is crucial for nurse leaders to exemplify their expertise.
As a result, nurse leaders should be a part of developing the change management method to successfully guide their team through it.
Embody the change
Before introducing new technology, it’s essential to gather people to understand the reason behind the changes. In other words, they want the “why” of why the organization will be adopting the tool or solution and how it will benefit them.
Virtual nursing, for example, transforms the act of caring for patients outside the hospital, or remote nurses caring for patients inside the hospital, and opens up many new opportunities. Nurses can’t be everywhere at once, and they shouldn’t need to be. With virtual nursing, nurses who may be considering leaving the field due to the intense in-person demands can remotely monitor or assess patients from home.
It’s an especially important feature for rural communities that have to travel for healthcare. Morris Hospital, for example, has over 200 miles between all of our locations, so we know remote nursing will help improve access to care.
Embrace multi-generational collaboration
In today’s workforce, it’s typical to have four generations in a clinical department, which can bring its own unique challenges. Every generation deals with change differently, which makes a one-size-fits-all approach impossible — another imperative factor to consider with the importance of personalization when using digital tools.
Raised on technology, nurses newer to the workforce can display excellent adaptability and are poised for innovation. More experienced nurses hold invaluable on-the-job expertise and background knowledge for how to help guide effective change. Leadership typically goes to the experts with experience when executing a project. However, innovation goes against the grain, so leadership should do the same. Involve the new staff to balance the experiences of novice and expert, an invaluable asset when working with vendors to shape future digital solutions.
We can all learn from each other, and projects like these have the potential to help foster a collaborative ecosystem at your organization.
Never stop learning
Above all, it’s vital to be curious. Leaders in any industry have to know a little bit about a lot. By knowing your staff’s expertise in different clinical areas, you can find the right people and leverage them as organizational resources. Knowledge entails acknowledging your team and networking efficiently.
Staying relevant as a leader includes being involved internally and externally with peer groups. For instance, serving on the boards of various leadership-focused organizations such as the Illinois Organization for Nursing Leadership (IONL), AONL, and our Illinois Hospital Association’s CNO Steering Committee all assist in bringing new knowledge. By participating in local and national professional organizations, you gain unique perspectives and strategies to potentially apply to your own practice. Attending vendor and user conferences, such as MEDITECH LIVE, also builds on a leader’s knowledge discovery.
In summary, the role of the nurse leader is to guide through change. To dive deeper into AONL’s Nurse Leader Core Competencies, read “Grounded in Proficiency: A Crosswalk Between Nurse Leader Digital Transformation Guidelines and Core Competencies,” an article I am proud to have co-authored.
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