Tyler White is a healthcare executive with 28 years’ experience. As connectRN’s Vice President of Hospital Services, he leads the organization’s efforts to support the staffing needs of our nation’s hospitals and health systems.
Prior to joining connectRN, Tyler served in many facility, division, and corporate roles with HCA Healthcare, most recently serving as HCA’s corporate AVP of Transfer Centers, facilitating the movement of patients to appropriate facilities to receive definitive care.
We sat down with Tyler to get his take on the nursing shortage, his thoughts on the future of healthcare, and the advice he has for nurses everywhere.
Tyler, you’ve been in healthcare for over 28 years. How have you seen healthcare evolve over that time?
There have been material improvements in healthcare over the past three decades. One example of this is the industry-wide focus on quality improvement initiatives. Hospitals and health systems have access to the data and analytics necessary to quickly identify and prioritize areas of opportunity when it comes to clinical quality, and patient outcomes.
One of the most impactful measures to ensure clinical quality and reduce variation has been the adoption of the electronic health record (EHR). While there were many potential benefits to the EHR, EHRs have not lived up to the industry expectations. A lack of interoperability has kept the majority of the data trapped in silos. The EHR has contributed to a significant amount of clinician burnout, drawing their attention away from the bedside, resulting in a decrease in the connection between the clinician and the patients. This trend had been contributing to a number of nurses and physicians leaving the industry at ever increasing rates even before the beginning of the pandemic.
When considering the evolution of the healthcare industry, COVID 19 needs its own chapter. The pressures placed on bedside clinicians as a result of the pandemic have stress tested the industry like nothing before. These unprecedented challenges have manifested in the form of a migration away from the bedside by nurses and physicians at historic rates. The resulting labor shortage has added continued pressure on the remaining clinicians who are facing a work environment that is not sustainable.
connectRN recently expanded into hospitals. Tell us what that means for the business and our network of nurses?
For the connectRN business, it means that we’re entering into a new care setting on a national scale. For nurses, it opens up the door to radical flexibility in the acute care space. Nurses can choose to partner with connectRN, work in a number of exciting clinical areas locally - completely on their own terms. connectRN prides itself in meeting our nurses wherever they are in their life. If a nurse needs extra scheduling flexibility because they have decided to continue their education, or if they have family responsibilities that are a priority, connectRN allows them to work around those life scenarios with ease.
In addition, we know there are a number of talented, experienced clinicians who have made the decision to take a step back from the bedside and no longer have a desire to work full time; connectRN offers those clinicians an opportunity to re-enter the workforce on their own terms, working as much, or as little as they would like.
What do we need to do to innovate in healthcare today, and in the future?
Hospitals and healthcare systems are going to have to become more creative with their staffing models, utilizing all available resources to provide safe, effective, patient care.
The entire healthcare industry is going to have to be very intentional when it comes to supporting the front line clinical staff – the number of nurses who are leaving the bedside is not sustainable. Nurses need to feel supported and that they are practicing in a safe environment.
What keeps you hopeful about the state of healthcare?
Despite today’s challenges, the healthcare system is filled with very intelligent, mission-driven individuals. The nurses and physicians at the bedside all the way to the executives in the c-suite all have the same goal - to provide quality care to patients.
Working at connectRN is a very different experience than your previous role - what made you take the leap?
In my previous role, I had a front row seat to the nationwide capacity challenges associated with the pandemic. We would receive requests to transfer patients and oftentimes it was quite difficult to find a hospital that could accommodate them - this resulted in many long distance transfers. I wanted to help hospitals with their staffing needs while at the same time do what I could to support the development of a supportive working environment for nurses.
What advice do you have for the new nurses entering the field today?
Nurses need to know that within the healthcare industry there are a number of very distinct care settings they can choose to practice in. As an example, hospitals, skilled nursing and home health are three very different, yet all rewarding places to work. If nurses are concerned about the challenges associated with a particular area, they shouldn’t think that they don’t have options - try out different areas until you find the best fit.
I would also tell nurses that the challenges associated with working in the healthcare industry are real, but I would also tell them the rewards associated with caring for patients are also real. Living your life in the service of others is the most fulfilling pursuit possible.