Today’s Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) are facing an unprecedented convergence of challenges: staffing shortages, nurse burnout, rising turnover, and unrelenting pressure to improve clinical quality. In the midst of it all, one issue continues to rise to the top during CNO roundtables and focus groups—workflow efficiency. And one surprising solution keeps surfacing: labeling automation.
Labeling: A Small Task with System-Wide Impact
On any given day, nurses are responsible for labeling IV bags, tubing, syringes, and more. It’s repetitive, manual, and incredibly time-sensitive. Errors in this seemingly minor task can lead to:
- Misidentified medications
- Delayed treatments
- Unnecessary tubing replacements
- Non-compliance with Joint Commission and INS standards
CNOs know that these errors aren’t just administrative issues—they’re clinical safety concerns that impact nurse satisfaction, patient outcomes, and audit readiness.
What CNOs Are Saying
In recent focus groups conducted with nurse leaders from across the country, several themes emerged:
- “Our nurses are spending too much time handwriting labels and redoing them.”
- “We need to support our nurses with tools that make compliance effortless.”
- “Standardization across units is impossible with our current manual processes.”
CNOs are seeing firsthand how labeling automation helps tackle these issues head-on.
The Vigilant Verify Solution
Vigilant’s Verify platform gives hospitals a modern alternative to manual labeling. Using a simple barcode scan, nurses generate compliant, color-coded, and time-stamped labels in seconds—no handwriting required. For CNOs, the platform checks multiple strategic boxes:
- Patient Safety: Fewer labeling errors means fewer medication mistakes and CLABSI risks.
- Nurse Satisfaction: Streamlined workflows reduce frustration and save time.
- Standardization: Templates can be configured and deployed across all sites in minutes.
- Audit Readiness: Every label is Joint Commission-compliant and legible.
- Retention: Technology-supported workflows meet the expectations of younger nurses.
Proven Results Backed by Nursing Leadership
Hospitals that have adopted Verify have seen dramatic improvements:
- IU Health boosted labeling compliance from 75% to 95%+
- WellStar Health System achieved 639 CLABSI-free days
- Units reported over 1,200 nursing hours reclaimed annually
More importantly, nursing leaders across these systems report higher engagement and fewer complaints around labeling and infusion management.
The Strategic Edge for CNOs
For today’s nurse executives, labeling automation is more than a workflow upgrade—it’s a strategic lever. It helps:
- Reduce burnout and turnover
- Improve compliance scores and readiness for surveys
- Support nurse-led quality improvement goals
- Strengthen nurse trust and operational excellence
Final Thoughts: Empowering Nurses, Strengthening Systems
CNOs are the voice of nursing at the executive table. When they advocate for tools like Vigilant’s Verify platform, it’s because they see the downstream benefits for their staff, their patients, and their entire health system.
Labeling automation is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a leadership priority.
