5 takeaways: Learnings to support care delivery transformation
1. Nurse-led innovation is the new standard for care models
One theme stood out immediately: care model innovation is no longer experimental; it’s essential. And nurses are pivotal in spearheading transformative healthcare solutions. From virtual nursing to serving in nontraditional support roles, CNOs are actively redesigning team structures with a view to maintaining care quality in the face of persistent labor shortages. “We don’t need just more nurses; we also need smarter systems around nurses,” one CNO said. “Innovation isn’t optional anymore. It’s survival.”
Innovations discussed included reintegrating licensed practical nurses into acute settings, deploying qualified medication aides to handle routine tasks, and hiring psychological support staff to assist neonatal-intensive-care-unit nurses.
2. Nursing workforce development must focus on critical thinking
CNOs expressed growing concern about a decline in critical thinking among early-career nurses — an issue exacerbated by pandemic-era education gaps and overly task-focused training. “It’s as if they know the steps, but not the why behind them,” one participant said. “We have to teach critical thinking — not just tasks — or we lose the heart of nursing.”
To counter the decline in critical thinking, several organizations are adopting simulation-based learning, just-in-time training at the bedside, and tools that deliver evidence-based content in real time.
3. Financial return must be built into care transformation models
Participants emphasized the need to tie the care model innovation business case to measurable financial outcomes. Innovation initiatives that lack convincing business cases — no matter how well-intentioned — face significant hurdles. “You can’t just talk quality to CFOs,” one executive said. “You have to show them how quality makes money — whether that means faster discharges, fewer denied claims, or better case mix indexes.”
Virtual nursing programs were highlighted as offering powerful opportunities for return on investment through improved documentation, throughput optimization, and more efficient use of clinical staff.
4. Technology must empower, not replace, frontline nursing staff
Although participants expressed broad enthusiasm for emerging technologies, CNOs stressed the importance of framing technology as a tool to enhance, not displace, nurses’ work. “Technology should give nurses superpowers at the bedside, not make them feel obsolete,” one leader emphasized.
Artificial-intelligence-powered decision support, voice-enabled bedside tools, and intuitive electronic-health-record integrations were seen as offering the potential to reduce documentation burden and cognitive overload — if those methodologies get designed in collaboration with clinical teams.
5. Culture change and leadership pipeline investment are critical
Care model transformation isn’t just about tools and staffing; it’s also about culture. CNOs shared stories about how culture gaps can undermine even the best innovations. “Everyone did their tasks, but no one thought about the patients,” one executive recalled, citing a sentinel event. “That’s what happens when we lose the culture of critical thinking.”
Investments in mentorship, preceptor development, and preparing nurses for senior leadership roles were seen as essential for long-term sustainability and systemwide alignment.
Conclusion
This roundtable confirmed that nurse leaders are not waiting for change; they’re driving it. But success requires more than pilots. It requires investments in culture, education, infrastructure, and metrics. As the Wolters Kluwer Lippincott® FutureCare Nursing 2025 survey shows, health systems are embracing the challenges, but alignment across teams, tools, and training is still a work in progress.
Learn how Lippincott® Solutions can support new care models, nurse training, and evidence-based care.
