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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Most of my presentations are targeted toward nurse leaders. If I have one, my superpower is identifying the trends and challenges we are experiencing in nursing today and then pragmatically suggesting leadership tools and strategies for nurse leaders. I never try to sell myself as an inspirational or motivational nurse’s week keynote speaker.

This month, I was invited to deliver a Nurses Week keynote and a leadership workshop for the 5th Annual Nurses Leading the Way Initiative, a partnership between the Hospital, UCH Health, and the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. The leadership workshop part was easy for me, but the keynote presented a different challenge. What could I talk about that would be interesting to staff nurses, yet at the same time send some vital messages about what I have been seeing and hearing is happening at the frontlines of care related to the professionalism and professional identity of nurses? Could there be a way to reframe some of the challenges that leaders are struggling with, and convince nurses about the need to rethink some of the following behaviors:

• Disengagement from professional governance.
• Viewing nursing as a job and not a career.
• Frequent job changes with no clear career trajectory.
• Pushing back on feedback and seeing it as a personal attack.
• Last-minute decisions to use unplanned PTO resulting in unit staffing shortages.
• Disinterest in professional organizations.
• Failure to see specialty certification as important.
• A focus on individual needs to the detriment of teams.
• A willingness to have skin in the game and do some professional development on one’s own time.
• Insistence on quickly moving up career ladders without the necessary skills and competencies.
• Posting videos of unprofessional behavior on public social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.

With the concurrence of the sponsoring organizations, my keynote topic was Building a Strong Professional Brand. Rather than framing any of the above challenges as behaviors that present issues for health systems, I framed them as issues that would ultimately impact the brand of the individual nurse and limit career success. Since the presentation was virtual and attendance was optional, I realized that if the messages were not received well, I would quickly know by our drop-off rate.

Our audience (very well-attended) stayed with us, with a very low drop-off rate, and asked many questions. Framing professionalism and professional identity as a branding issue seemed to resonate with nursing staff, most of whom do want to advance their careers. Some key points that seemed to hit home included the following:

• A professional brand is what people say about us as professionals when we are not in the room. We all have one, but it might not be a brand we intend to project or one that will serve us well.
• We can decide as nurses what we want to be known for based on our values and career goals.
• A strong professional brand provides a competitive career advantage and helps us take ownership of our career planning.
• Knowing your strengths and limitations helps you to identify what you want your areas of expertise to be.
• Seeking feedback on how others view us is essential to developing a strong professional brand. We should seek input on what we need to start, stop, and continue doing as professionals. None of us improves without feedback.
• Your professional brand should be authentic, and your behaviors must be consistent. People will pay much more attention to what you do than what you say you will do.
• An essential component of having a strong brand is social proof of your skills and abilities. When you get certified or serve as a preceptor, you build competency and have social proof of your expertise. When you participate in shared governance, you learn new skills and gain social proof of these skills.
• Some nurses develop brands that block their career advancement. If this happens, you can shift your brand, but not without intentional work.
• Social media can be a positive and a negative factor in professional brand building. All of us should think carefully before posting something we regret later, because it may follow us permanently.
• Joining professional organizations and learning to network can help you build a brand. We all need to expand our networks beyond our organizations.

Leaders have been saying for several years that some of their tried-and-true strategies for coaching staff about professionalism just don’t work today. Shifting the lens for the discussion could be a better approach. Branding is something our younger staff understand and can see the value in.

© emergingrnleader.com 2025

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Many health systems today face strong financial headwinds in 2025. Not surprisingly, CNOs frequently ask me about cost-effective ways to provide ongoing development for their nurse managers and emerging leaders. Professional development staff are so tied up with onboarding and the professional development of clinical staff that they often don’t have time to do leadership training. Sending nurse leaders to conferences has become costly. Bringing speakers in to do sessions is often more feasible, but even with that strategy, budgets are tight, and some leadership teams are small. Rather than having no development, which leaders desperately need, especially now, to be effective, consider less costly methods. One very cost-effective approach is to develop leaders using leadership book clubs.

Recently, I have talked with two leaders who have chosen this approach and picked one of my books as their book club selection. Both asked me to come in virtually for their book club kickoff, which I was happy to do. Lisa Henry, the Director of Nursing at Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, chose The Nurse Leader Coach because she had found it helpful in her leadership journey. Molly Kucera, the Associate Director of Ambulatory Surgery for the University of Iowa Health, chose Nursing Leadership in the New World of Work because she wanted to provide development about what perioperative leaders might need to do differently in the future. As is true of all my books, I had developed a book club guide to use the books for this purpose.

If this sounds like a strategy that could work for your team, here are some steps to get started:

1. Define the Purpose and Goals: Determine the main objectives of the book club. Are you focusing on improving leadership skills, discussing leadership theories, or exploring biographies of great leaders? Having clear goals will guide your book selection and discussions.
2. Select Members: Decide who the target audience is for the leadership development. While mixed groups of leaders can be the right choice, sometimes you may want to focus on nurse managers.
3. Choose Books: Select books that align with your goals. If your focus is on nursing leadership, you may want to choose work that is directed to leaders in nursing roles. Some popular choices in addition to my books include “Leadership Laboratory for Nurse Leaders” by Barbara Mackoff, “Enough: Eradicate Bullying and Incivility in Nursing” by Renee Thompson, and “Leader Inspired Work: Insights and Tools for Healthcare Managers” by Tim Darling at Laudio. Some popular leadership books not explicitly related to nursing leadership, but with great insight, include “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, and “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown.
4. Set a Schedule: Decide how often the book club will meet. Monthly meetings are common, but you can adjust the frequency based on members’ availability. Set dates and times that work for everyone.
5. Create a Structure: Plan the format of your meetings. Will you have a facilitator for each session? Will you discuss specific chapters or themes? Having a structured approach will keep discussions focused and productive. Book club guides, when available, can help decide how to structure your meetings.
6. Facilitate Discussions: Encourage open and respectful dialogue. Select discussion questions in advance to stimulate conversation. You can also invite guest speakers or experts to provide more insights on the book’s topics.
7. Track Progress: Keep a record of the books you’ve read and the key takeaways from each discussion. This will help members see their progress and reflect on their learning journey.

Sometimes, authors or publishers offer bulk discounts on book orders over a certain number of copies to lower costs, so be sure to ask about this. Participants should not be expected to buy their books as they might in non-work book clubs. Also, ask about the availability of a book club guide. This will save time and offer great ideas for planning discussions for each session.

And lastly, make sure you frame your book club initiative as leadership development. Don’t make participation optional because those who need it most often opt out of attending.

© emergingrnleader.com 2025

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*** Trending – Building Bridges Not Walls: Leading Multigenerational Work Teams – Click Here for More Information   Building Bridges Not Walls

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New Book – Click Here to Buy

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

There are times in leadership when apologizing for things outside your control can be the right thing to do, but not always. So many nurse leaders today tell me that they are saying “I am sorry” multiple times each day, and it is burning them out. Consider the story below from a young manager:

For a long time, I thought my burnout was all about my frustrations with staffing and scheduling. I recently stopped and realized how much I was continually apologizing for things I had no control over. I told a group of anxious physicians concerned about having so many inexperienced nurses on the unit that I was sorry we could not recruit more experienced staff. I told a patient’s family I was sad that the discharge was held up when a physician did not write the order. I told my night charge nurse I was sorry that we were again short-staffed on nights. Day after day, I repeatedly apologize because things are not how they should be. I was once proud of the care we gave, but so much is falling through the cracks that I am no longer. What should I do? Should I stop saying I am sorry when I am? It is eating at my soul. 

The irony about apologizing is that it can not only eat at your self-esteem but also decrease the respect others have for you. The implication of saying “I am sorry” is that you have control over the situation and contributed to a mistake. Some strategies we discussed to help modify her behavior and feel less stressed included the following:

1. Be more self-aware.

The first step here is to assess your behaviors and tendencies. Are you on autopilot when saying you are sorry and assuming blame? Knowing whether you are doing this will help you to carefully observe a situation before immediately blurting out the words “I’m sorry.” It may also help to keep a tally of how many times you apologize in a day and for what reasons.

2. Know what you should (and shouldn’t) apologize for.

There’s no need to apologize if you couldn’t control the situation or it was a trivial (and honest) mistake. But if you were really at fault, own up to it. Admitting you’re wrong is never easy, but it can strengthen your relationships and show emotional intelligence.

3. Flip your script.

Have other ways to respond to situations instead of saying I am sorry, such as:

I appreciate your patience that things are running late – we are working on it.

Here is what I tried today to get additional staff for the night tour, but was not successful – do you have any other ideas?

I can imagine how frustrating it is for you to come in each day and see different nurses – I am working on rebuilding our team.

I have reviewed the schedule and can’t give you that day off. You may want to check with these staff and arrange coverage.

It is frustrating that nurses have not yet rounded on your Dad – what can I do for him right now?

Thank you for waiting – we will get that done now.

Whatever you say, be authentic and let the other person know you have heard what they said. There’s no need to go out of your way and apologize simply because you feel bad about a situation. Sometimes it is what it is, and apologizing can damage your health and well-being. There are many things in our work and life today that we don’t have control over, but this is one that we do.

© emergingrnleader.com 2025

Our Most Popular Right Now   The New World of Work Workshop

Two Brand New Workshops for Your Team in 2025

*** Trending – Building Bridges Not Walls: Leading Multigenerational Work Teams – Click Here for More Information   Building Bridges Not Walls

Nurse and Nurse Leader Work-Life Balance and Well-Being: Nursing Leadership Strategies for Success – Click Here for More Information WorkLife Balance and Wellbeing WS

New Book – Click Here to Buy

I am proud to partner with the Northeast Ohio Organization of Nurse Leaders. The workshop outlined below is an excellent educational opportunity at a very reasonable cost – $50.00 for members or $60.00 for nonmembers to attend our Nurse Leader Coach Workshop. You can register using this link.

Northeast Ohio Organization for Nursing Leadership

Education Symposium 2025:

Inspiring Nurse Leaders

Thursday June 26, 2025

La Pizzaria’s Crystal Room

3656 Dressler Road NW, Canton, Ohio 44718

Our presenter will be Dr. Rose Sherman EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

From Traditional Leader to Nurse Leader Coach

Dr. Rose Sherman is a nationally recognized thought leader and keynote speaker on nursing and healthcare leadership issues. She is also a leadership development expert who works with health systems and professional organizations nationally to develop and coach current and future leaders.

Cost: NEOONL Members: $50 plus service fee per person

Non-members: $60 plus service fee per person.

Registration Info

NEOONL Members (only) can register for the Symposium beginning March 10 through April 6, 2025 at 11:59 pm.   All non-members and those NEOONL members not previously registered can register on April 7 through June 12, 2025 by 7am.  Registration is on a first come basis and may fill prior to June 12^th.

Register at

2025 NEOONL Educational Symposium | Northeast Ohio Organization for Nursing Leadership | Nursing Network

Registration form also allows the participant to enter dietary restrictions. La Pizzaria will attempt to meet requested dietary needs.

Bring and register a nonmember friend and the friend will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a two-year free NEOONL membership. One overall winner will be selected to receive the membership.

 There will be the annual basket raffle for your enjoyment. Raffle tickets will be available (cash/check or Zelle only) during the Symposium.

You or your organization can support the symposium by donating a gift/basket to be raffled off on the day of the symposium. Please contact Kathy Stoner via email at kstoner@akronchildrens.org or phone: 330-543-4710

Something NEW: we will be also doing a 50/50 drawing

 Agenda

8:00-8:50AM: Registration and Light Breakfast

8:50-9:00: Welcome/Introduction

9:00-10:15: Welcome and Overview of the Current Environment

o Breakout Case Discussion

o New Workforce Expectations of Nurse Leaders

o The Traditional Manager versus the Nurse Leader Coach

o The Business Case for Coaching

o Key Components of a Coaching Mindset

o Building a Coaching Foundation

10:15-11:00: Break

11:00-12:30PM: The Nuts and Bolts of Coaching

o The GROW Coaching Model

o Coaching Basics

o Coaching for Performance, Professional Growth, Career Planning, and

Staff Wellbeing

o Breakout Case Discussion and Debrief

12:30-1:30: Lunch

1:30-2:30: Business meeting

 Please email Theresa Borodkin at tborodkin@akronchildrens.org  with any questions regarding the Symposium

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Over the past three weeks, two surveys have been released offering insight into the nursing workforce and nurse leaders. The 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report provided an overview of what happened with the nursing and healthcare workforce in acute care settings during 2024.  The recently released AONL-Joslin Nursing Leadership Insight Study is longitudinal (one of six conducted since 2020) and looks at changes in leaders’ perceptions over time.

As I reviewed these two studies, the following are my top five takeaways:

1. Recruitment and retention are still cited as the top leadership challenge, but things have improved. Through many measures that health systems have taken, from flexible scheduling to virtual nursing, RN turnover has dropped to 16.4% yearly. RN turnover is highest in behavioral health at 22.8% per year, which is not surprising with the level of escalating patient and family violence and incivility now reported by staff. Hospital vacancy rates are only moderately lower at 9.6%. While RN turnover rates overall have improved, turnover in the first two years of practice remains high at 56.9%.
2. Staffing remains a top concern. While the workforce itself has stabilized, patient volumes and acuity have increased. Nurse leaders still struggle to staff their units, and capacity issues are a key concern.
3. Patient and family incivility and violence are a growing threat to the psychological safety of staff.  Physical violence toward staff is on the increase in healthcare settings, with 42% of leaders reporting that they witnessed acts of violence. Staff-on-staff incivility is also increasing as staff struggle to manage relationships.
4. Leaders spend more time today helping staff navigate their conflicts with one another. 71% of leaders now report that conflict resolution is among their top five most consuming activities. This is a 4% increase from last year and indicates that conflict in the workplace has grown.
5. Redesigning care delivery remains a key priority, but there are challenges in successfully doing it. Nurse leaders highlighted the growing importance of proficiency with technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance workflows, address administrative burdens, and improve patient care, but progress is slow. Ideally, organizations could pilot team-based models incorporating fewer professional staff, but workforce data indicates that yearly turnover is highest among PCT (34.2%) and CNA (36.1%) staff.

Some key factors looming on the horizon include the financial headwinds impacting Medicare and Medicaid that many health systems expect to experience in the current political environment. The aging nursing workforce is also a key concern. According to the NCHWA Nursing Workforce dashboard, approximately thirty-four (34%) of RNs are Baby Boomers, all of whom will reach retirement age by 2030. It is unclear how some trends seen today with the Generation Z workforce, such as working fewer hours and switching employers more frequently, will affect future workforce availability.