In a typical service industry the attitude of the people who actually prove the service makes a huge difference in consumer experience. The experience customers have is a direct reflection of the employee experience. Hence, delivering an outstanding customer experience requires empowering employees to perform at their fullest. Fulfilled and empowered employees then pass along their experiences to customers. Companies such as Zappos, Starbucks, Amazon and many others focus on creating distinctive experiences based on an empowered front line. HCL encourages everyone in the organisation to be a part of decision making, sharing of thoughts and ideas, providing 360 degrees feedback, and debating directly with the CEO.

In Healthcare, while doctors are integral to the ecosystem, the patient interacts with many other customer experience shapers, especially the nursing staff. However, the front line is either inadequately selected, under-trained, and/or under- supported. This is where the management in healthcare must change its mindset to treat talent requirements differently.

The current demand in managing healthcare talent is to:

  • Create a framework for horizontal peer learning and vertical links, for accountability and focusing towards improving healthcare and patient experience.
  • Retain and developing the available talent pool, which can lead to a more motivated workforce and better revenues.
  • Building Clinical Nurse Leaders contributing to improve healthcare output.

With the changing demand of talent in healthcare, leaders must think differently about talent management. It’s not only about hiring the right talent but also about developing talent from within the organisation: seeking people who can be strategic partners, foresee and analyse trends, develop a plan to leverage it and become more customer centric. Hence there is a need to invest in Clinical Nurse Leaders as representative of patient centric leadership within nurses, who are the frontline contact of patient interaction.

The term ‘Clinical Nurse Leader’ (CNL) came into use in the United States of America in the year 2003. This concept is an umbrella term describing an advanced level of clinical nursing practice. It aims to maximise the use of graduate educational preparation and in-depth nursing knowledge and expertise, in meeting the health needs of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations. It involves analysing and synthesising knowledge; understanding, interpreting and applying nursing theory and research; and developing and advancing the nursing profession.

CNLs provide an important clinical leadership role for the nursing profession and broader healthcare system. They play a key role in shaping the nursing profession to be more responsive to the changing healthcare system. Some of the important qualities of effective nursing leaders include being an advocate for quality care, collaborator, articulate communicator and mentor etc.

The need for clinical nurse leadership, to improve the quality of health care systems, while controlling costs, has been recognised internationally. Having only clinical skills is insufficient for providing high quality care. Bedside nurses work in environments where complex and often dysfunctional healthcare systems are barriers to effective output. Hence, to deliver quality care at the bedside, nursing leadership must play a central role in improving quality outcomes. WHO has formed a Health Metrics Network to guide developing systems, so that accurate and reliable health information and measures are available to healthcare providers. Many of these are implemented by nurses.

The role of CNLs, the importance of driving talent retention in healthcare and some insights to create a purpose driven learning and improve health system can be read more about in this publication by Abbott.