|
For
immediate release
ACHE/AONE
SURVEY: HOSPITAL CEOs, CNOs REPORT
GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER
CHICAGO,
May 6, 2004—A
new survey finds that 99 percent of hospital chief executive officers
and 95 percent of chief nursing officers report that their relationship
with each other is good. Nearly as many said that the relationship between
the CNO and other members of the senior executive management team is also
good. The survey, conducted by the American College of Healthcare Executives
and the American Organization of Nurse Executives, studied the responses
of 569 CEOs and 460 CNOs.
"Chief nursing officers are expanding their responsibilities and becoming
more important participants on hospital senior management teams," says
Marilyn Bowcutt, R.N., AONE president-elect and vice president of Patient
Care Services for University Health Services in Augusta, GA. "We're delighted
that the increasing role of the CNO is being well received and that there
is a positive relationship between the CEO and CNO in most hospitals."
Hospitals
included in the study varied by size and ownership. More than three-quarters
of the CEOs and CNOs surveyed work in not-for-profit settings; about half
work in hospitals with more than 200 beds. In the most recent fiscal year,
the hospitals represented in the survey had a median net operating margin
of 3.3 percent, placing them above the national average. The median nurse
vacancy rate among the organizations surveyed was 6 percent; the median
nurse turnover rate was 10 percent.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- Three
out of four CNOs report directly to their CEO; most of the remainder
report to the COO.
-
CNOs meet with the CEO one-on-one about once a week. CNOs meet with
the CEO and other senior executives about six times a month.
- While
more than 80 percent of chief financial officers give regular reports
at every board meeting, only about 40 percent of CNOs report to the
board that often. Most CNOs report less than every other board meeting.
- Ninety
percent of CEOs said that typically, physicians on the hospital's staff
who have a complaint about nursing care are asked to contact the CNO.
However, a sizeable minority (21 percent) of the CNOs surveyed said
that physicians are asked to report the problem to the director of nurses
of the appropriate department first.
- When
asked if they get more support from their supervisor than their colleagues
do, 30 percent of the CNOs agreed and 36 percent disagreed. Only 17
percent of CEOs agreed that CNOs get more support from their supervisor
than do other members of the senior management team.
- Both
CEOs and CNOs were ambivalent about the CNO's opportunity to advance
his or her career in their hospital. CEOs were split, with 41 percent
agreeing that there were limited career advancement opportunities for
CNOs, while 46 percent disagreed. CNOs were also divided, with 48 percent
agreeing and 36 percent disagreeing.
ACHE
and AONE hope to use the findings from this research to study factors
that influence positive working relationships between CEOs and CNOs, including
internal promotion vs. external recruiting and the span of control that
CNOs have within the organization. "CNOs are beginning to take a more
prominent place in the hospital's senior management team, and this research
provides a valuable glimpse into the way CNOs are perceived," says Larry
S. Sanders, FACHE, Immediate Past-Chairman of ACHE and chairman and chief
executive officer of Columbus (GA) Regional Healthcare System. "It also
provides us direction for future studies, which could explore ways hospitals
have succeeded in enhancing career opportunities for CNOs and increasing
the involvement of CNOs at board meetings."
###
American College of Healthcare Executives
The
American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional
society of 30,000 healthcare executives who lead our nation's hospitals,
healthcare systems, and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known
for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual
Congress on Healthcare Management, which draws more than 4,000 participants
each year. ACHE is also known for its journal, the Journal of Healthcare
Management, and magazine, Healthcare Executive, as well as
ground-breaking research and career development and public policy programs.
ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the
largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services
management in addition to textbooks for use in college and university
courses. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the
premier professional society for healthcare leaders by providing exceptional
value to its members.
###
American Organization of Nurse Executives
Founded
in 1967, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), a subsidiary
of the American Hospital Association (AHA), is a national organization
of more than 4,300 nurses who design, facilitate, and manage care. Its
mission is to represent nurse leaders who improve healthcare. AONE members
are leaders in collaboration and catalysts for innovation. AONE's vision
is "Shaping the future of healthcare through innovative nursing leadership."
The organization provides leadership, professional development, advocacy,
and research in order to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote
nursing leadership excellence, and shape healthcare public policy. Its
Web site is www.aone.org.
###
CONTACTS:
Deborah A. Labb, ACHE, (312) 424-9426
David Strickland, AONE, (312) 422-2815
|
