Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Strengthening Nursing Fundamentals to Improve Patient Experience with Sadie Durham, DNP, RN
Feb 17, 2026
Sadie Durham, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer known for nursing leadership and patient experience work. She explains refocusing on bedside shift reporting and hourly rounding. She describes assessing frontline barriers, training charge nurses, and leaders validating practice. She highlights visible behavior change on the floor and a dramatic rise in patient satisfaction metrics.
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Back To Basics Restored Patient Focus
- Sadie Durham traced declining patient experience to inconsistent execution of core nursing practices rather than missing technology or programs.
- She decided to redeploy fundamentals like bedside shift reporting and hourly rounding to recentralize patient care.
Staff-Led Diagnosis And Rollout
- Sadie interviewed bedside nurses and charge nurses to surface perceived barriers before designing the program.
- Leaders trained charge nurses as champions, educated all staff, then validated adoption through observations and feedback.
Behavior Change Shows In Weekend Practice
- A visible behavior shift was immediate when staff began doing bedside shift reporting instead of clustering at nurses' stations.
- True adoption showed on weekends when managers weren't present, indicating cultural change.