(Summary based on RN Journal’s article written by Aundrea Mills, MHL,BSN,RN, VP & Chief Nursing Officer, Compass Healthcare)
Nurses are at the center of patient care, but supporting them requires more than encouraging self-care or resilience. A recent article by Aundrea Mills, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Compass Healthcare, argues that healthcare organizations must create work environments that address the practical realities nurses face every day. These investments can improve nurse wellbeing, strengthen retention, and enhance the patient experience.
Creating Space for Rest and Recovery
The article highlights the importance of providing nurses with access to food, hydration, and restorative spaces throughout their shifts. One example is Sentara Princess Anne Hospital’s Breakaway Bay, a 24/7 wellness lounge developed through collaboration between Sentara, Compass Healthcare, and Morrison Healthcare. Designed in response to nurse feedback, the space offers around-the-clock access to nutritious food, hydration, and a quiet environment where caregivers can recharge during demanding shifts.
The initiative demonstrates how listening to frontline staff and translating feedback into action can create meaningful improvements in the caregiver experience. It also reinforces an important principle: support resources must be available when nurses need them, regardless of shift schedules.
Technology Should Help Nurses Focus on Care
The article also explores the role of technology in supporting nurses. Rather than adding complexity, effective technology should remove friction from daily workflows. Automated service routing, streamlined communication platforms, and real-time updates can help reduce unnecessary interruptions and administrative burdens.
These efficiencies allow nurses to spend more time on patient assessment, education, care coordination, and direct patient interactions. As the article notes, the goal is not to automate nursing but to protect nursing time and ensure clinicians can work at the top of their license.
Turning Appreciation into Action
A key takeaway from the article is that meaningful support does not always require large-scale transformation. Small but intentional investments, such as improving overnight food access, creating restorative break spaces, refining service request processes, or implementing targeted technology solutions, can make a measurable difference.
What matters most is connecting solutions to clearly identified needs, involving nurses in the design process, and evaluating the impact on workforce wellbeing and operational efficiency. Organizations that take these steps can strengthen retention, improve engagement, and create a more supportive work environment.
Why Nurse Support Matters for Patient Care
The article concludes that supporting nurses is inseparable from delivering exceptional patient care. When healthcare organizations invest in environments that help nurses recharge, reduce unnecessary burdens, and stay focused on clinical care, they strengthen the entire care experience for patients, families, and caregivers alike.
To read the original article published in RN Journal, click here.
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