Engagement isn’t a score on a dashboard; it’s how a shift feels when the work is heavy, and the support is real. We sit down with Dr. Katie Boston-Leary, Senior VP of Equity and Engagement at the American Nurses Enterprise, to unpack why retention lags when organizations chase surveys instead of fixing the work itself. From red-yellow-green mood checks that trigger real-time support to linking nurse well-being with patient “happiness,” we explore practical systems that help nurses show up ready and leave with energy to return.

We take on complexity creep—EHRs that promised simplicity but added clicks, protocols that squeeze critical thinking, and floating barriers that multiply friction across units. Katie names workload as the clearest love language leaders can speak: reduce physical strain, ease cognitive load, and design psychologically safe teams. We share strategies to personalize nurse residency through appreciative inquiry, train and evaluate preceptors for coaching excellence, and ensure the unit culture mirrors the care offered in the classroom. Because a strong residency can’t overcome a toxic environment, the day-to-day must change.

You’ll hear actionable ideas that boost nurse engagement and patient outcomes: real-time readiness signals, unit problem-solving boards, transparent internal mobility windows that keep talent in-house, and human-centered design that prioritizes patient time over screen time. If you’re a nurse leader, educator, or preceptor looking to make retention a byproduct of better work, this conversation offers a clear path forward. If it resonates, follow the show, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review telling us one change you’ll try first.

GUEST: Dr. Katie Boston-Leary is the Senior Vice President of Equity and Engagement at the American Nurses Association, addressing DEIAB and workforce challenges within the profession. Katie is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. She sits on numerous boards and national committees in nursing and healthcare and serves on the editorial advisory boards of Nursing Management, Nursing 2025, OADN, and ACHE. Katie leads the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing Forum and organized ANA’s inaugural Equity Summit in Washington, DC. Katie is a 2024 ICN Global Nurse Leaders Institute Scholar and was previously identified by Health Leaders Media as “One of Five Chief Nursing Officers Changing Healthcare”. She also won the ICABA TD Bank 2023 Woman of Impact award, the 2024 Spectrum Circle Award for Innovation in Health, and the 2025 National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) President’s Trailblazer Award. She was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow at the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing with the NBNA, is a Fellow with the American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL), the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She was recently named as an honored listee on Marquis’ Who’s Who in America. Katie authored two chapters in The Sage Encyclopedia of Multicultural Counseling, Social Justice, and Advocacy, the first encyclopedia focused on racism and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Katie was also featured in the award-winning documentary film, Everybody’s Work, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She recently co-authored a Sigma-published book titled Harmony by Design, Navigating Work and Life in Healthcare. 

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