Protect the nurse, protect the practice: Effective communication is the foundation for keeping nurses safe

Every year around Nurses Week, Dr. Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer for Vocera Communications, publishes a report examining important issues that impact the nursing profession worldwide. Her 2021 CNO report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the realities of the nursing profession and how the lack of resources, infrastructure, and policies impact nurses' work and lives. Dr. Collins addresses the toll of mental, emotional, and physical fatigue and outlines steps to help leaders create environments that protect the well-being of nurses and their patients. Dr. Collins closes the report by asking nurses to participate in a study to measure the mental, emotional, and physical burden nurses experience during communication. The study will use the NASA Task Load Index, a tool that has been used to measure the task load of workers in high-intensity jobs, such as pilots and air traffic controllers. The objective is to gain insight and a body of knowledge toward reducing nurses' cognitive burden going forward.