Melnyk lays out business case for workplace wellness

Health care leaders must prioritize worker well-being, says globally recognized expert Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN. Melnyk, an AONL member and Ohio State University’s chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing, says a hospital’s executive leadership should helm efforts to shift to a wellness model, appointing a chief wellness officer with a team and resources. Leaders must address systemic issues, such as “too many bureaucratic tasks that take time from nurses caring for their patients, which bring them joy, and length of shift work,” Melnyk says. “All of my studies have shown the longer the shift work, the poorer the health outcomes for nurses.” She shares examples of how Ohio State has prioritized its wellness culture. A National Academy of Medicine case study showed how the Columbus, Ohio-based system’s commitment to wellness has resulted in a cumulative productivity net savings of more than $15 million from wellness programming across the university. (HealthLeaders Media article, 12/9/22)