Chief nursing officers perform a myriad of instrumental roles in an attempt to expedite and advance service delivery. For instance; one of the most fulfilling duties in the nursing profession is being a nurse leader. Supervision of nurses is the main role of chief nursing officers; hence, they begin to impact nurses either positively or negatively through the process of supervision (Hader, 2007).
The Chief nursing officer is also in a position to facilitate the design required to deliver effective healthcare services by nurses. In addition, chief nursing officers are expected to assist nurses to implement efficient delivery of healthcare services to patients by offering robust and functional recommendations on a day-to-day basis (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The overall goal is to improve patients’ experience when they visit healthcare facilities.
There are also several established short and long-term objectives that the nursing fraternity is supposed to attain. While they may achieve these goals on their own, a chief nursing officer propels the attainment of the set objectives and also ensures that nurses are intrinsically motivated towards realizing the goals (Hader, 2007). Satisfactory outcomes can only be maintained when a chief nursing officer performs his or her duties competently. For most healthcare institutions that are profit-oriented, a chief nursing officer can play a noble role in guiding and motivating nurses to boost profitability.
A chief nursing officer can indeed create an environment where all workers feel comfortable and ready to offer high-quality services. To a large extent, a positive and collaborative working atmosphere is required by nurses to perform well in the workplace.
A collaborative environment also sets the right pace for optimum production because nurses are compelled to jointly pull as a team and not individuals. Workplace procedures, institutional policies, and operations are supposed to be implemented by a chief nursing officer. However, it is crucial to mention that the officer cannot achieve these broad duties alone. The officer can put in place ground rules to be adhered to by nurses so that the set guidelines can be followed.
As much as a chief nursing officer is not allowed to coerce nursing employees to stick to the rules, he or she ought to set the standards and also induct employees regularly on the need to follow the given guidelines. According to Hader (2007), regulations and standards that have been established should be followed by all nurses. Fellow nurses can readily demonstrate aptitude and cooperation when they fully comprehend the values attached to any work process.
Annual budgets and business reports are pertinent in both the short and long-term planning in an organization. The daily duties of nurses ought to focus on the overall growth of a hospital setting. One of the areas that demand this particular focus is the budget. Apart from utilizing the services of accounting professionals when preparing annual budgets, a chief nursing officer should seek the input of all the employed nurses before compiling the final budget. Key decisions that directly impact nurses should be approached mutually. When a chief nursing officer involves nurses in decision making, they will feel to be part and parcel of the system and therefore remain motivated to work.
A chief nursing officer is in a vantage position to be resourceful to colleagues. Disciplinary actions should also be approached cautiously. From the above discussion, it is evident that a chief nursing officer can provide the right direction for the rest of the nursing team. While each nursing professional within a healthcare setting understands his or her job description, the execution of individual roles is enhanced by the noble functions of a chief nursing officer.
References
Hader, R. (2007). Are you prepared for your role as a CNO? Nursing Management, 38 (3), 43-44.
Institute of Medicine (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health: Report recommendations. Web.