Keeping It Real in 2022 - Emerging Nurse Leader

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

Last week, I received the following message from one of our nurse leader blog readers: Thank you for writing this blog. Please continue to keep it real about what is happening in healthcare today. I sometimes feel like there is this cone of silence. We know what is happening in our health system, but not much beyond that. I recently went to a nursing conference. Everyone was high-fiving each other and putting their smiling pictures on social media. There was minimal discussion about the troubling trends we see in our profession. I almost feel like I am a character in the movie – Don’t Look Up. If we can’t face what is happening, how can we fix it?

So in the spirit of keeping it real, this is what I am hearing from nurse leaders as we finish the third month in 2022:

Nurse leaders thought 2022 would be better but find the turmoil is continuing and, in some places, even escalating.
Although the strategic goal in 2022 is to reduce the use of travelers, very few hospitals have successfully done it.
The nursing skill level versus patient acuity needs is a gap that continues to grow.
Nurses request to go part-time or per diem and then accept agency and travel contracts while still working for their employers.
Nurse leaders who supervise medical-surgical units report that they have NO candidates for their positions as new graduates take roles in specialty areas.
New graduates know that they have the upper hand with recruitment and take their time accepting positions.
Experienced nurses who have been loyal to their employers are very angry and disillusioned at the lack of progress for better pay.
A significant percentage of nurses no longer trust the executive leadership in their hospitals to do the right thing for staff.
New graduates continue to leave positions early in their employment to either travel or leave the profession.
Nurses working in inpatient settings are seeking either remote work or ambulatory settings.
The number of part-time staff continues to grow, leading to much larger leadership spans of control.
Frontline nurse leaders are at the breaking point, with many seriously thinking about leaving their roles.
There are enormous needs for support staff in almost all settings.
Nurse leaders feel a disconnect with some hospital leaders who are forging ahead with bed expansion plans and new programs in the face of massive clinical staffing shortages.
Nursing Care Delivery redesign is not happening yet.
Nurses have challenges with the behavioral health issues they see in their patient populations.
Nurse leaders now make less than most of their staff, leading to serious recruitment issues for nurse leader roles.
Continuous onboarding is a nightmare for nurse educators with a lack of preceptors.
Nurses tell friends and family members to take care of their health and avoid hospitalizations.
Nurses have mental health issues, but there is little participation in organizational wellness programs.
Nurse leaders describe the current environment as “a culture of discontent.”

I am optimistic and know we will move through this challenging time, but it is not easy right now. I am sure of one thing. The future of nursing practice will look very different than the past.

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