To nursing leaders in southwest Pennsylvania, a global pandemic meant placing an emphasis on collaboration over competition.

“At the beginning, there was so much unknown. And when there is so much unknown, you really feel the need to connect with like individuals,” says Claire Zangerle, chief nursing officer of Allegheny Health Network, who, in the early days of COVID-19, played a key role in bringing CNOs from around the region together to share best practices.

Today, they meet weekly to address issues surrounding the rising number of cases. But the day-to-day demands of a leader don’t stop when a pandemic hits. Zangerle is responsible for overseeing a common strategy of nursing across the network.

“It’s very important for us to have that roadmap because we can be proactive at the same time as we have to react to what is thrown at us,” she says.

While the magnitude of the pandemic has placed extraordinary demands on the nursing profession, Zangerle, a former member of the Excellence in Nursing judging panel, says it has been an opportunity for the nation to recognize just what nurses truly are capable of.

“Nurses during this time have demonstrated their competence in transforming healthcare,” she says. “I envision that nurses will be leading healthcare transformation going forward — new models of care, new ways of taking care of patients, new processes and procedures.”