There’s a powerful partnership ready to be unlocked in healthcare organizations: between the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Together, they can drive innovation, enhance team performance, and elevate patient care.
Nursing data in the United States is sobering: 56% report burnout; a turnover rate of 18.4%; growing care needs, and an expected shortage of 1.1 million by 2030. This puts immense pressure on employers to recruit, retain and offer continuous development opportunities.
Here are three ways CNO-CHRO collaboration will help boost healthcare employee retention while positively impacting the health of society for years to come:
1. Boosting well-being
Healthcare employees, particularly the nursing workforce, are facing a burnout crisis. Research shows that almost 20% of 4.5 million registered nurses intend to leave the workforce by 2027, partly due to burnout and stress. While the pandemic intensified these issues, they already existed due to chronic understaffing, increased workloads, and the emotional toll of patient care.
By aligning efforts, the CNO and CHRO can implement comprehensive strategies such as mental health support programs and flexible scheduling. These initiatives are crucial to limiting healthcare burnout. Mental health support, for example, could include expanded employee assistance programs tailored specifically for clinical care providers, ensuring unique, accessible and flexible solutions.
When organizations meet these needs, they’ll foster a healthy, engaged nursing workforce ready to deliver high-quality care. Without such integration, healthcare burnout and turnover risk intensify, impacting patient care and organizational stability. Together, the CNO and CHRO can create a resilient environment that not only improves healthcare employee retention but elevates patient outcomes, setting a new standard for supporting the next generation of nursing professionals.
2. Creating long-term pipeline strategies
Creating a sustainable nursing pipeline for the future hinges on a powerful alliance between the CNO and CHRO:
The CNO brings invaluable connections with academic institutions – essential for filling the pipeline and enhancing the quality of new graduates. By embedding their insights into workforce planning, organizations will make sure new nurses are prepared to meet complex patient care needs from day one. The CNO’s deep understanding of both clinical demands and educational preparation is crucial to developing a pipeline that addresses quality and readiness – not just quantity.
The CHRO provides an enterprise-wide vision, overseeing strategic resource allocation and organizational alignment. With expertise in long-term succession planning and cultural integration, they can drive pipeline efforts consistently across the organization, ensuring alignment with broader goals. By structuring shared goals and incentives, the CHRO can embed a long-term pipeline strategy that outlasts short-term fluctuations.
Together, they have a pivotal opportunity to reshape the future of healthcare by addressing the changing workforce, leveraging technology to redefine care models and using data to drive proactive planning – areas where healthcare’s traditionally struggled. Their partnership can transform the organization into a true destination for nursing talent by developing initiatives that attract, train and retain these healthcare employees well into the future.
3. Developing nurse leadership
"Supporting nurses' growth into leadership roles is essential for the long-term sustainability of healthcare organizations. Nurse leaders drive employee engagement, better patient outcomes, and financial stewardship."
Nurse leaders must master both people-focused and complex clinical leadership. They oversee diverse teams while navigating advanced care environments and financial responsibilities. As technology like telemedicine, virtual nursing, and data analytics evolve, healthcare employees need specialized training in adaptability, emotional intelligence, and strategic vision. This blend of clinical expertise, innovation, and continuous learning empowers them to deliver better patient outcomes and manage the complexities of modern healthcare.
The CNO guides nurse leaders, while the CHRO supports leadership development programs. Together, they can create programs that equip leaders to communicate effectively with multigenerational teams, manage clinical demands, and ensure patient safety.
Career development pathways allow nurses to see a clear growth trajectory, enhancing their motivation, purpose, and commitment – to their role and the organization. Well-defined pathways signal that the CNO and CHRO value professional growth, improving healthcare employee retention and engagement.
The united efforts of the CNO and CHRO are critical for addressing immediate challenges while transforming the long-term landscape of retaining healthcare employees. By reducing healthcare burnout, building nurse leadership pipelines, and fostering continuous learning, the CNO-CHRO partnership will make sure healthcare organizations maintain a competitive edge, improve employee satisfaction, and most importantly, deliver exceptional patient care for years to come.
About the experts
Member of Cielo’s Healthcare Advisory Board
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