Kingston Describes Ways CNOs Can Protect Nurses

Advocate Health CNO Mary Beth Kingston, PhD, RN, says CNOs should listen to front-line nurses’ ideas for addressing workplace violence. Kingston, 2024 AONL Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and an AONL past president, says the Charlotte, N.C.-based system prioritizes worker safety as much as patient safety. It offers several programs to mitigate violence-related injuries and help nurses recover after experiencing trauma. Advocate invests in training nurses and nursing leaders partially because front-line nurses say their greatest supporters are their teammates and direct leaders. In addition, Advocate’s leaders have called on Congress to pass the AONL-supported Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (S. 2768/H.R. 2584). (HealthLeaders Media article, 6/12/24)