The Nursing Workplace: Staffing, Shortage, and Safety

In this episode of Care Anywhere: The Global Health Workforce Podcast, host Lea Sims welcomes Syl Trepanier, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer for Providence Health and member of the TruMerit Board of Trustees.

With responsibility for representing more than 36,000 nurses across a multi-state health system, Syl shares his personal journey from caregiving as a child to becoming a national nursing voice and executive leader. His story reflects a lifelong commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and transforming the nursing workplace from within.

In this conversation, Syl explores the evolving challenges facing nurses today, including staffing shortages, burnout, safety concerns, and outdated care models. He discusses how Providence is redesigning nursing roles and launching virtual care programs that allow nurses to practice at the top of their license while fostering retention, innovation, and improved patient outcomes.

Lea and Syl also dig into leadership development, safe staffing frameworks, and the cultural shifts needed to support change. With thoughtful insight and deep experience, Syl calls for a unified nursing voice and a collective willingness to rethink the status quo. He emphasizes that the biggest risk to the Nursing workplace is continuing to do things the way they have always been done.

This episode offers both inspiration and actionable models for how nursing can lead the future of care through collaboration, courage, and care model evolution.

Tune in to the full episode at trumerit.org/podcast or on your favorite podcast platform.