Introduction
As in any professional sphere, leadership positions exist in the field of nursing, ranging from Head Nurses to Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) and even CEOs. CNOs are versatile professionals tasked with managing nursing personnel and working with other healthcare leaders in establishing policies. Their duties include creating schedules and staff rotations, encouraging and facilitating education and training of their staff, including new employee orientation. They also work with their facility’s nursing budget, advise senior management, represent nursing departments at board meetings, and ensure that work and ethical standards are followed. Finally, CNOs are responsible for maintaining relationships with patients, clergy, and other interested groups.
Main body
Such a broad range of responsibilities requires an extensive set of skills. One needs a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or a related field and a licensed registered nurse status. Administration-related degrees may also be requested, as well as experience in nursing work or administration. In addition to formal education, this role requires an assortment of other skills. For instance, a recent survey’s three most cited competencies necessary for success in the modern medical field are communication, knowledge of the healthcare environment, and clinical experience (Denker, Sherman, Hutton-Woodland, Brunell, & Medina, 2015). Another study has highlighted the importance of High Information Technology competency in CNOs (Collins, Yen, Phillips, & Kennedy, 2017). Finally, a CNO is expected to take charge of matters, motivate people, and lead by example. Therefore, one needs to develop traits such as confidence, honesty, supportiveness, initiative and skills such as the ability to delegate. All these qualities require constant self-improvement and dedication due to the field’s rapidly changing nature.
Conclusion
CNO is a crucial position in the field of nursing, necessary for the smooth operation of medical facilities. Their responsibilities are complex and diverse, ranging from administration and communications to training and planning. The requirements are strict, demanding formal education, possibly in two fields, and a variety of related skills. However, this position serves a vital function in management, coordination, and policy-making for medical facilities.
References
- Collins, S., Yen, P.-Y., Phillips, A., & Kennedy, M. K. (2017). Nursing informatics competency assessment for the nurse leader. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(4), 212-218.
- Denker, A.-L., Sherman, R. O., Hutton-Woodland, M., Brunell, M. L., & Medina, P. (2015). Florida nurse leader survey findings. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(7/8), 404-410.