Company Announcements

Nearly nine in 10 CNOs note positive impacts from the care models in place at their healthcare organizations

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 8, 2026-- Wolters Kluwer Health has released the 2026 edition of Lippincott’s annual FutureCare Nursingreport, highlighting insights from U.S.-based chief nursing officers (CNOs) who are leading successful care model programs across the healthcare continuum. These nursing leaders are now looking to real-world success metrics such as patient outcomes (87%), nurse competency (87%), and recruitment and retention (83%) to assess programs like home healthcare, virtual nursing and telehealth.

“As hospitals and health systems move beyond experimentation with nursing care models, nurse leaders are increasingly focused on how those models are measured, sustained, and scaled. Rather than short-term pilots or stopgap solutions, care models are now being evaluated through hard outcomes, workforce indicators, and operational performance,” said Bethany Robertson, DNP, CNM, FNAP, FAAN, Clinical Executive at Wolters Kluwer Health. “Under the current backdrop of healthcare in the U.S., where chronic staffing shortages, funding cuts and payment uncertainty are top of mind, showcasing outcomes that support patients and the nurses who care for them is critical.”

A focus on care model quality, not quantity

"As nurse executives, we're responsible for choosing care models that hold up under real-world pressure," said Betty Jo Rocchio, DNP, RN, CRNA, CENP, EBP-C, Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Advocate Health. "Today’s decisions are driven by measurable improvements in clinical quality, workforce resilience and nurse capability over time. This allows leaders to move past what sounds innovative and invest in what is sustainable, scalable and truly supports nurses and patients."

Last year’s FutureCare Nursing 2025report highlighted that nursing leaders were still exploring which care models would best support their organization, their patient population and staffing structures. The 2026 data shows a few distinct models taking the lead as executives streamline the programs in place and look to build on early success – versus finding new areas in which to invest. Year-over-year responses show a gap between the care models nurse leaders expected to advance and those that have gained traction – highlighting which initiatives have made the most progress and where plans remain in development:

Measuring what matters the most

With the right mix of care models already in place or currently being rolled out, nursing leaders are now assessing the outcomes of these various programs. Nurse leaders surveyed consistently pointed to improvements in nurses’ capabilities, readiness, and confidence as evidence that care models were working. They noted the following areas where care models have had measurable, positive impacts:

• Patient outcomes: 87%, with nearly half (47%) saying the impact on patient outcomes has been very positive
• Nurse competencies: 87%
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: 83%
• Recruitment and retention: 83%
• Operational efficiency: 82%
• Culture change: 82%
• Workflow streamlining: 81%
• Financial management: 81%
• Nurse burnout and well-being: 75%

What are the top four nursing roles most needed by CNOs?

While the nursing workforce shortage is not a new problem facing the industry, there is a clear shift in how nurse leaders build their teams to meet patient care demands. Nearly 90% of respondents plan to use their care models as part of their efforts to attract new talent and boost their appeal to the future workforce.

Many of the roles CNOs are currently looking to fill are aimed at supporting and diversifying their staff. Interestingly, the survey revealed that the top two most sought-after roles are focused on providing patient care outside the four walls of the hospital. Telehealth nurses who typically provide clinical and real-time audio/video consultations with 68% of responses. The broader category of virtual nurses, encompassing any healthcare services via remote technology, followed at 52%.

The top four nursing roles that CNO leaders are looking to hire in 2026 are:

1. Telehealth nurses: 68%
2. Virtual nurses: 52%
3. Internal float pool nurses: 44%
4. Home health nurse coordinators: 40%

To see more data and hear from CNOs on the current care landscape, download the full FutureCare Nursing 2026 report.

Methodology

Wolters Kluwer commissioned Regina Corso Consulting to conduct a comprehensive survey of 150 senior nursing leaders at hospitals and health systems across the United States to understand how they are dealing with nursing care models and technology.​

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2025 annual revenues of €6.1 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,100 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX, Euro Stoxx 50, and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).

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Media Contact
Josh DeStefano
Manager, External Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (917) 408-5125
joshua.destefano@wolterskluwer.com

Source: Wolters Kluwer Health