For the last few decades, doctors have become synonymous with life-saving heroes for the medical field. Medicine and physicians make a combination that has formed one of our society’s most important sectors, the health sector. Medicine, as a field, has grown exponentially in the last century. Not only has science and technology been able to help expand the field, but the diversity within the discipline has made for a relatively well organized social agency. As human beings, we take solace in the fact that we can fall back on hospitals, clinics, and the managed healthcare system if we ever fall ill or hurt ourselves. However, do we ever realize how this industry grew? Sure, science and technology-aided the growth exponentially, but the medical officials’ dedication in the field solidified its place in our society. The time, effort, and sacrifice, which has been given by the paramedical staff is one that could never be put into words. Nurses especially do not get the credit they deserve, even though they play a pivotal role in our medical field. Here is how nurses and especially Chief Nursing Officers (CNO), serve as the healthcare system’s building blocks.
Education and experience
To enter the medical field, you are going to need to dive into the medical books. Whether you are looking to become a doctor or a nurse, chances are you are looking at 3-5 years of hardcore studying. Nurses are incredibly advanced in their knowledge and medical know-how. They are the backbones of health practice. Therefore, they need to know advanced medical procedures and terminologies to be part of the healthcare system.
However, if you are wondering how to become a chief nursing officer if you are already a staff nurse, the answer is simple, education and tenure. A CNO plays a significant role in the healthcare system because they have a Doctorate in nursing. Moreover, they would have spent a considerable amount of time as a regular nurse before assuming CNO’s role.
Let’s discuss their responsibilities.
Leading the nurses.
A CNO is considered the head of the nursing staff. With 10-20 nurses on the floor, managing all these people is a colossal task. Nurses are of paramount importance in patient care and recovery; therefore, adequate workforce management needs to be set in place for the nurses to do their job correctly.
However, the principal duty of nurses is not management. It is advanced and systematic planning when it comes to nursing practice in the medical institution. Having a plan for nurses is imperative for the healthcare sector. If there is no direction for the near future, the staff may become alienated and demotivated in their jobs.
Keeping the rest of the staff up to date.
Government policy related to healthcare is everchanging. Staying up to date with the government changes that may arise in healthcare is why CNO’s serve as the healthcare system’s building blocks. The staff needs to work within the legal confines of government regulation when they are practicing medicine. The CNO will need to be up to date with government policies and changes made within the regulatory bodies. It means they will have to hold frequent workshops/ seminars with the workforce to keep them updated on the frequent changes. Failure to do so could cost the hospital their license to practice medicine or barring from the regulatory body.
They know the healthcare environment.
A CNO would have started their career as a nurse in most cases. Therefore, they would know the ins and outs as to how the healthcare system works. Knowing the environment is extremely important when you are implementing strategic management principles in the nursing staff. The hospital is like a business. Understanding the business’s strengths and weaknesses concerning the environment is a critical benefit in management. With the CNO monitoring, the general nursing staff, nurses, and roles become a lot more streamlined; therefore, they can more efficiently tend to more patients. If a CNO does not capitalize on the environment’s strengths and manage the weaknesses, the entire system could collapse.
Mismanagement in the healthcare system can be the worst. The citizens of society expect a certain degree of quality, both in medical treatment and how they run. Coming into a mismanaged hospital can send an extremely negative message to the patient. It is partly the CNO’s job to ensure that the hospital has an outward image of responsibility, efficiency, and a positive image in society. Hence, CNO’s are among the most important careers in the healthcare sector and are known as the industry’s building blocks.
Conclusion
We have talked about some of the common reasons why CNO’s have so much significance. It is understandable why the medical sector sees them as some of the most essential and promising careers in the field. Without a Chief Nursing Officer, some of the nursing practices we expect when we go into a hospital might not be present. They work behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that their staff works like a well-oiled machine. We need to give credit to these nursing officers. We might not have been aware of their importance in the past, but now that we do, it’s important to tip our hats and salute these heroes.