CNO Rhonda Collins outlines six steps to protect the physical and emotional well-being of nurses

Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, released its 2021 CNO Perspective report authored by Chief Nursing Officer Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN, FAAN. Dr. Collins, who is also a co-founder of The American Nurse Project, publishes a report every year around Nurses Week, examining the most pressing issues within the nursing profession worldwide. She also offers solutions to drive sustainable change and protect the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of nurses.

This year’s report, titled Protect the Nurse, Protect the Practice, reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the realities of the nursing profession and how the lack of resources, infrastructure, and policies impact nurses’ work and lives. In the report, Dr. Collins addresses the toll of mental, emotional, and physical fatigue and outlines steps to help leaders create environments that protect the well-being of nurses and their patients.

“The COVID-19 pandemic tested nurses like never before, and I have never been more proud to be part of this sacred profession,” Dr. Collins said. “As many nurses embrace the mantra ‘Never Again’ and consider whether to continue a career in healthcare, nurse leaders must listen to, support and protect nurses. If we don’t listen to their fears, concerns, and ideas for improvements, or calls for help, we risk losing nurses whom we desperately need.”

Dr. Collins is focused on elevating the voices of nurses, sharing strategies to reduce cognitive overload, and deploying solutions that simplify clinical workflows and ease the burden of busy nurses. The 2021 CNO Perspective report offers six solutions to help support nurses and reduce stress and cognitive load in healthcare environments, factoring in lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Keep nurses protected and safe
2. Empower nurses with control over patient-family communication
3. Reduce the stress of crisis care
4. Enable smooth movement from novice to expert and back
5. Protect nurses from workplace violence
6. Measure and solve for communication task load

The report closes with Dr. Collins asking nurses to participate in a study to measure the mental, emotional, and physical burden nurses experience during communication. The study will use the NASA Task Load Index (TLX), a tool that has been used to measure the task load of workers in high-intensity jobs, such as pilots and air traffic controllers. The objective is to gain insight and a body of knowledge toward reducing nurses’ cognitive burden going forward.

“The more we engage with and listen to nurses, the better prepared we are to support them,” said Brent Lang, chairman and CEO of Vocera. “Even before the pandemic, nurses were risking their well-being for ours. We must do whatever it takes to protect them. Dr. Collins’ new report is of the upmost importance as it offers tactical solutions to support and prioritize the safety and well-being of nurses around the globe. I look forward to seeing how this work transforms our understanding by studying the task load of clinical communication.”

To participate in the study with Dr. Collins and other nurses around the globe, reach out to her via LinkedIn or on Twitter @RhondaCNO.

About Vocera

The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to improve the lives of healthcare professionals, patients, and families. Founded in 2000, Vocera provides solutions that help protect and connect team members, simplify workflows, increase efficiency, enhance quality of care and safety, and humanize the healthcare experience. More than 2,300 facilities worldwide, including nearly 1,900 hospitals and healthcare facilities, have selected Vocera solutions to enable their workforce to communicate and collaborate with co-workers and engage with patients and families. Mobile workers can choose the right device for their role or task, including smartphones or one of the company’s wearable communication devices, and use voice commands to easily reach people by name, role, or group. The hands-free Vocera Smartbadge was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020. The Vocera Platform can integrate with more than 150 clinical and operational systems, including electronic health records, nurse call systems, ventilators, physiological monitors, and more. In addition to healthcare, Vocera solutions are found in aged care facilities, veterinary hospitals, schools, luxury hotels, retail stores, power facilities, and more. Visit www.vocera.com to learn more, and follow @VoceraComm on Twitter.

Vocera® and the Vocera logo are trademarks of Vocera Communications, Inc. registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks appearing in this release are the property of their respective owners.

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