Chief Nursing Officer Sustainment A Phenomenological Inquiry

OBJECTIVE: The study explored factors leading to chief nursing officer (CNO) sustainment in the professional practice of nurse executive leadership. BACKGROUND: CNOs are expected to lead adaptations in care delivery in this current era of healthcare reform, requiring a multitude of new leadership skills. Exploration is needed to understand barriers to longevity, which prevent consistency of leadership and execution of vision. METHODS: Twenty CNOs were interviewed to determine the lived experience related to the phenomena of role sustainment. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used. RESULTS: Six themes emerged describing sustainment. These are as follows: loving the profession, having a broader impact, reflecting on one's own work, learning to manage conflict, maintaining work/life balance, and working with supportive leaders. CONCLUSIONS: The desire and passion for nurse executive leadership must be enhanced through education and competencies that emerged in this study and include strategic processing, mindful reflection, and resiliency training.