Next Level Nurse Partnership: Caring for Caregivers

Nursing is the backbone of the health care industry. No other sector of health care has as broad of a reach or direct impact on patient care and in the post-pandemic environment, the importance of nursing has been amplified as new technologies and work flows disrupt the status quo, and nurse teams and leaders continue to face new pressures and obstacles in their efforts to care for patients. Despite the significant role nursing plays in maintaining and improving access to care, there is a growing challenge involving the state of the nursing workforce, and nurses are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, with retirements outpacing new entrants. This paper examines a forward-thinking strategy that positions nursing as a strategic partner with interprofessional disciplines such as food and nutrition services, EVS, patient observation, patient transport, biomedical services, and engineering.