Locations:
Search IconSearch
October 17, 2023/Leadership

Encouraging Nurses to Embrace Change (Podcast)

Nurses are a pivotal part of multidisciplinary teams that drive positive changes within healthcare

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Healthcare and the nursing profession are constantly in flux. Change can be uncomfortable, but Darlene Morocco, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE encourages nurses to lean into change and embrace it.

“There’s a lot of inspiration and a lot of reward in change agentry,” says Morocco, CNO of Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital. “I think that the nurses inspire me, and I hope that I inspire them to become change agents.”

In a recent episode of Cleveland Clinic’s Nurse Essentials podcast, Morocco delves into change management. She shares thoughts on:

  • Creating an environment where change is prioritized and supported
  • Building multidisciplinary teams to enact change
  • Listening to all caregivers, from students to 40-year nursing veterans
  • Evaluating new interventions and pivoting away from those that don’t work

Click the podcast player above to listen to the episode now, or read on for a short edited excerpt. Check out more Nurse Essentials episodes at my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/nurse-essentials or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast excerpt

Morocco: I like to think of nursing as a generational profession where each generation has something to offer. And we learn from each generation. Even though the seasoned 20-year, 30-year veteran has not been in school for a long time, they are continuous learners. And through continuous education and certification we are learning all the time. But that new grad nurse has just come out of an accredited program where the best practices are being taught at the academic level.

Advertisement

So, I think that when [leaders] make ourselves present to our caregivers – through rounding and huddles, staff meetings, one-on-one check-ins – those should be meaningful times to engage with our caregivers and to ask them the question of what’s going well, what’s not going well.

And I think that that gives the caregiver a comfort level of, “It’s okay for me to speak up. They really do want to hear from me.” So, we do have to drive it. And then once you establish that psychologically safe culture and environment, you’ll start to see your caregivers be more comfortable at bringing things to your attention.

Advertisement

Related Articles

Portrait of nurse David Lucas
April 23, 2025/Nursing/Podcast
Specialty Spotlight: Caring for Patients in a Neurological ICU (Podcast)

What it’s like working in neurology critical care and what to consider before entering the specialty

Nurse giving shot
April 21, 2025/Nursing/Clinical Nursing
Modern Healthcare’s Ambulatory Care Nurse

Delivering specialized care and education that improves outcomes

Nurses in OR
April 16, 2025/Nursing/Clinical Nursing
Perioperative Nurses Help Propel Robotic Surgery Programs

As robotics in the OR grows, so does the role of nurses

Portrait of nurse Terri Foliacci
Nursing Specialty Spotlight: A Look at Endoscopy Nursing (Podcast)

The fast-paced, high-tech field requires critical thinking and interpersonal skills to provide patient-centered care

Surgical nurses in OR
Revolutionizing Surgical Nursing Practice for a Tech-Driven Future

Developing the perioperative caregivers of the future

Portrait of CNO Meredith Foxx
Creating a Team Built on Trust and Transparency

Veteran nurse leader describes the power of teamwork, mutual growth

Portraits of nurses Christine Rose and Persis Sosiak
March 26, 2025/Nursing/Clinical Nursing
Hand Hygiene: The Foundation for Infection Prevention (Podcast)

Protecting patients and caregivers comes down to the basics

Nurse at bedside
March 21, 2025/Nursing/Clinical Nursing
Raising the Alarm on Rising CMU Notifications

Unit-based project decreases non-urgent alarms

Ad