When COVID-19 first hit the US, the crisis response centered on equipment and hospital capacity. State, federal, and tribal leaders focused on setting up field hospitals, sourcing supplies, and mobilizing equipment. But the capacity shortfalls that most hampered our response were ultimately the country’s nursing workforce. There were not enough nurses with the skills needed, in all the places they were needed. There still aren't enough.

Globally, health systems are struggling with historically high vacancy rates and low nurse staffing levels causing delays in care and safety concerns. All of which are driving nurses to exit the profession. Although these issues predate the pandemic, the immense physical and emotional strain of COVID-19 has precipitated a true talent emergency—one that requires urgent and substantial investments to create practice environments that attract, support, protect, respond to, and empower our nursing workforce to flourish and deliver their best.

In this episode we meet nurses Gaurdia Banister, PhD, RN and Hiyam Nadel, MBA, CCG RN who are building a culture of inquiry for a health system globally recognized for innovation. We learn how innovation serves as an essential tool for listening and learning from the frontline and caring for the staff’s wellbeing and career fulfillment, and how problem-solving can be transformative for an entire institution.

Have questions for the SEE YOU NOW team? Feedback? Future episode ideas? Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com.

Guests 

• Gaurdia Banister, PhD, RN
• Hiyam Nadel, MBA, CCG RN

Episode Resources

• Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Presentation: Hiyam Nadel, RN, MBA, BSN, CGC
• The Ether Dome Challenge
• What Job Crafting Looks Like | Harvard Business Review
• A Treatment for America’s Healthcare Worker Burnout
• Addressing Health Worker Burnout: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce
• National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being
• Innovating to Address the Nursing Crisis that is a Healthcare Crisis for All
• The US Has a Chance to Invest in Health Workers Like Never Before
• FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration Global Health Worker Initiative
• Burnout Among Health Care Professionals: A Call to Explore and Address This Underrecognized Threat to Safe, High-Quality Care
• #2022 Healthcare Workforce Rescue Package
• How the U.S. Could Fix Its Nursing Crisis
• America needs more doctors and nurses to survive the next pandemic
• Health workforce shortages begin to weigh on patient safety
• The cost of nurse turnover in 23 numbers
• Health Workforce Recommendations for COVID-19 Response