The top 4 issues facing nurse leaders today

If you are a nurse leader, hold onto your stethoscope in 2019.

As any nurse can attest, the field of nursing continues to evolve at an ever-increasing pace, and 2019 promises to be no different. Whether it be advancements in technology, the ongoing nursing shortage, or ever-changing patient expectations, nurse leaders must be prepared to confront – and hopefully conquer – the challenges that await them. Their teams and their patients depend on it.

Some of the core challenges facing the nursing profession in 2019 are new, and others are not so new but no less critical for nurse leaders to tackle, says Christy Davidson, DNP, interim dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences for Capella University. She shares the following four key issues that nurse leaders are facing in 2019.

Artificial intelligence is here and now – embrace It

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer some futuristic concept that only exists in sci-fi movies. Although many nurses remain wary of AI, it’s here to stay and is a reality that every nurse leader should embrace.

“When it comes to health care and nursing, AI can be a very good thing,” Davidson says. “It’s a great complement to the existing technology we have. In fact, it’s smarter. It’s meant, as its name suggests, to think similarly to humans.”

So, what does artificial intelligence in nursing actually look like? It can take many forms (rarely an actual robot), all of which are meant to make the job of a nurse easier and improve patient outcomes. For example, nurses have long struggled with the risk of falls among patients. With AI, there are now technologies that can monitor a patient’s body movements and react in real time if they sense the risk of a fall or an actual fall. The technology will talk to the patient, and if it doesn’t get a response that the patient is OK, will immediately alert professionals to provide help. That is the kind of technology assist that any nurse leader should welcome.

An avalanche of personalized health data

Fitbits. Apple Watches. Motiv Rings. Oh my!

The reality of “big data” is not only being driven by the IT departments of health care organizations. It’s also coming from patients themselves. With the explosion in popularity of “wearables” or technologies in the form of wristbands, watches, and rings that monitor and track our personal health and activity, patients are presenting nurses with an avalanche of data about their health. Some of it is useful … some of it, well, not so much. What should a nurse leader do?

“First, don’t panic, and resist any urge to simply dismiss this data,” Davidson says. “This sort of personalized data, when weighed against diagnostics done by nurses in professional health care settings, can be informative. Not to mention, no patient wants to be dismissed when it comes to the personal information they have to share. They want to be heard. Their personal health data can be useful. Nurses need to respect that.”

The competitive market for nurses

The ongoing nursing shortage is nothing new, yet it is as critical as ever. By 2050, the U.S. population age 65 and over is projected to be 83.7 million, almost double what it was in 2012. An aging population will likely require additional nurses. At the same time, the Baby Boomer generation of nurses is preparing for retirement.  

“The issue of recruiting and retaining nurses is a tough one, but so, so important,” Davidson says. “What nurse leaders can’t do is simply throw up their hands; nor should they simply keep doing the same things they have in the past. It’s time for a new way of thinking.”

That new way of thinking, according to Davidson, should be less focused on seeking out new nursing talent, but more on keeping the talent they have.

“Nurse leaders need to shift their focus to how they can keep their millennial and Gen Z nurses engaged,” Davidson says. “These younger generations are known for switching jobs when they are not feeling valued or challenged. Nurse leaders need to respond accordingly. Are these nurses feeling burned out? Do you provide reasonable break time and accommodations? Do you have a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace bullying? Have you made self-care a priority in your unit? These are all things younger generations of nurses care about and expect.”

Preserve and protect that human connection

Finally, with all of the whiz-bang advancements in technology, it can be easy for nurse leaders to lose sight of the most important aspect of nursing of all – establishing that intimate, compassionate, deeply personal connection with patients.

“We can never, never lose that,” Davidson concludes. “That sense of empathy and relating with patients on a very human level, particularly when they are at their most vulnerable, is fundamental to nursing. Nurse leaders need to stress the importance of making that personal connection with patients and make it a priority with their teams. Especially as we are more and more surrounded by technology, it must remain a priority – in 2019 and beyond.”

Capella University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program helps prepare nurse leaders to tackle the key issues facing the nursing profession today and into the future.