National survey from Vizient and Laudio finds schedule flexibility, administrative support, and manager-centric technology are among managers’ top priorities, but progress lags

BOSTON, JUNE 4, 2025 – Laudio today announced the publication of a joint peer-reviewed study with Vizient, “Priorities for Nurse Managers: Guidance from a National Survey,” in Nurse Leader. The study offers a rare side-by-side comparison of how nurse managers and Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) prioritize frontline leader support strategies and perceive the amount of progress that has occurred around workload and wellbeing.

The findings are based on a national survey of more than 230 nursing leaders, including 177 nurse managers and 54 CNOs. The research highlights a growing support gap, with nurse managers calling for flexible scheduling, administrative relief, and manager-centric technology, while many organizations have struggled to make significant advancements in these areas.

The report comes at a critical moment for U.S. health systems, which continue to face persistent workforce instability, particularly on the frontlines of care. While executive leaders recognize the rising risk of burnout among their nurse managers and the need to reduce the complexity of their roles, that awareness has not yet translated into sufficient, concrete operational changes.

Among the study’s key findings:

• “The wellbeing triad” is underutilized. Nurse managers cited alternative scheduling, remote work, and decreased after-hours call among the most impactful well-being strategies, yet less than 35% responded said they were “mostly implemented.”
• Administrative support and technology built for managers are quick wins. Over 70% of nurse managers rated administrative relief (e.g., assistant managers, administrative support) and manager-centric technology platforms as high-impact strategies to ease workload strains, but implementation progress remains mixed.
• Right-sizing span of control is critical. Both nurse managers and CNOs ranked span of control recalibration a key priority for easing manager workloads. Research has shown that one in four nurse managers oversees 75 or more people, despite data showing that smaller teams are more likely to have higher retention rates and lower risk of burnout.
• Leadership development opportunities are in high demand. Both managers and CNOs perceive leadership education and development as high-impact with a relatively light lift, but nurse managers report significantly less progress in this area than CNOs.

“Nurse managers are at the heart of healthcare and need a central place in any workforce strategy,” said Tim Darling, President of Laudio Insights and study co-author. “This study gives voice to what these leaders need the most to feel supported and satisfied in their roles. Targeted strategies to close the gaps it revealed can help health systems not only make high-impact changes to retain their nurse managers, but also bring greater stability to the broader nursing workforce”

While CNOs and nurse managers agreed on many priorities, the study also revealed differing views on the level of effort required for certain changes. For example, CNOs saw more complexity in adding assistant manager roles than nurse managers did. They similarly anticipated more challenges around span of control recalibration. The data suggests that while the will to act exists, many organizations face execution hurdles that require cross-functional commitment to resolve.

“The findings reinforce a critical point that some of the most effective strategies for supporting nurse managers can be implemented today, while others require longer-term structural change,” said Nicole (Nikki) Gruebling, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, Senior Vice President of Member Networks and Operations at Vizient and study co-author. “This new data can go a long way in helping health system leaders prioritize immediate action as they build the foundation for more sustainable nursing leadership.”

The study was co-authored by Nikki Gruebling (Vizient), Barbara Seymour (Vizient), Tim Darling (Laudio), and Joel Ray (Laudio). Full text is available in the March 2025 issue of Nurse Leader and online.

About Laudio

Laudio empowers healthcare leaders to drive large-scale change through everyday human actions. Our AI-enhanced leader operations platform streamlines workflows for frontline leaders, strengthens interpersonal connections, and aligns C-suite objectives with frontline efforts, boosting operational efficiency, employee engagement, and patient experience. Laudio makes it possible for patients, frontline workers, and health system leaders to thrive together. Discover how at www.laudio.com.

Media contact:

Laudio

laudio@hermespr.co