The pandemic has fundamentally reshaped the nursing workforce, creating both challenges and opportunities to reimagine care delivery.

In this episode, Dr. Terry McDonnell, Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President at Duke University Health System, discusses how Duke Health is addressing turnover in nursing, empowering frontline staff through innovation initiatives, and building robust career pipelines as early as eighth grade.

With a goal of building a sustainable, future-focused nursing workforce, Dr. McDonnell offers valuable insights into creating technology-enhanced innovation units, leveraging AI and ambient technology to transform documentation, and adapting care models for the next generation of patients.

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In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Duke Health is addressing the post-pandemic nursing challenge with empowerment initiatives that reduced turnover by 10%
• The role of AI and technology in building the care environments of the future
• Why Dr. McDonnell believes the future of nursing will be hybrid, creating a need for nurses skilled in both direct and virtual patient care

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Terry McDonnell, Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President at Duke University Health System

(01:54) Impact of the pandemic on nursing

(03:13) Challenges in the nursing workforce

(04:55) Strategies to reduce nurse turnover

(06:27) Empowering frontline staff

(07:22) Building future nursing pipelines

(09:37) Leveraging technology in healthcare

(11:52) Innovation units at Duke

(16:17) Hybrid models of care

(17:07) Nursing innovation summit

(20:18) Dr. McDonnell’s leadership journey