20 | Nursing in Practice | Summer 2022
COLUMNISTS
Digital nurse leaders are vital
to the future of primary care
The two first chief nursing information officers ( CNIOs ) in primary care , Cheryl O ’ Sullivan and Louise Bell in Dorset , explain how their role – and nursing – is crucial to the digital future of the sector
Cheryl O ’ Sullivan and Louise Bell
Covid-19 has brought fresh challenges to nursing , but in general practice it has also meant opportunities to explore the potential of digital technology and been a key driver towards developing new models of care .
The community of CNIOs is growing and they are now seen as integral members of hospital leadership teams . But what about primary care ? At the Digital Nursing Summit in March , England ’ s CNO Ruth May pledged her support for a CNIO role in every healthcare organisation , saying this would give the profession ‘ the voice , coordination and network , to make a significant impact within the digital sphere ’.
We are proud to step into that new territory as CNIOs supporting primary care in Dorset . It is an honour to be that strong nursing voice , to bridge the gap between technology and clinical practice and help empower nursing teams to enact change .
The NHS Long Term Plan , released in 2019 , sets the direction towards widespread digitally enabled care – helping people to stay well , recognise important symptoms early and manage their own health . The pandemic has seen nurses adapt to the shift to remote monitoring and digital technology , and we can now leverage that to develop a primary care network ‘ digital first model ’ to drive the ‘ empowered self-care ’ agenda .
Clinical engagement We view ourselves as clinical champions , uniquely positioned in both IT and clinical worlds . Wearing both ‘ hats ’, we work in partnership with PCNs to support teams in using a population health approach to assess the health , risks and inequalities in their populations and target resources accordingly . This is through accelerated access to services at home , such as structured diabetes education , remote pulmonary rehabilitation and blood pressure @ home . By looking beyond traditional
We bridge the gap between technology and clinical practice to empower nurses
pathways , we empower patients and work collaboratively to make decisions about their health , while enabling flexibility and equity of service . We work with nursing teams on any barriers they encounter ; our digital health huddles support integration by facilitating a safe space to share experiences , gain support and learn together .
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Measuring impact and looking to the future The impact of digital healthcare is demonstrated through our patient stories : the patient who engaged with remote pulmonary rehabilitation , who now gets out to exercise regularly ; the patient who now understands his blood pressure and has taken control of his own health while his hypertension is managed remotely .
The upskilling of current staff and the development of new roles has led to an empowered workforce , which has ownership and job satisfaction . This brings the possibility of developing new career pathways and improving retention . We aim to further close the digital divide by exploring how to address inequalities caused by homelessness , poverty or transient populations , and envisage a growing network of CNIOs working in primary care to help take the digital agenda forward .