I am a nurse, part of the largest segment of the healthcare workforce in America. At more than 4 million, we greatly outnumber all other healthcare workers — including physicians, pharmacists and therapists — and we are the primary providers of patient care in hospitals, where many of the newest technologies in healthcare are being deployed.
Many well-respected nursing organizations are advocating for hospital leaders to leverage today’s technology to support patient care. The abundance of literature and press coverage speaks to the rapid technological advances taking place in healthcare. With the entry of generative artificial intelligence in this space, the expectation is for growth to continue at an exponential rate. Unfortunately, nurses are not always asked to take part in the conversations and decision-making about adoption of healthcare technology and are at risk of being left out during this massive transition.
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The COVID-19 pandemic brought long overdue attention and accolades to nurses and nursing care delivery. The slogan “not all superheroes wear capes,'' with a nurse pictured, was plastered across social media. For nearly two decades, nurses have been ranked as the most trusted profession in the U.S., according to Gallup. Yet, while the public respects the profession, nurses are often overlooked as experts who have important education, skills, expertise and experience by the groups that craft healthcare practice models and policy at all levels.
During the pandemic, it was nurses who suggested extending IV tubing outside of patient rooms. This allowed other clinicians to care for COVID patients without having to enter the room and risk exposure. It was nurses who led initiatives to communicate with the families of patients who were dying. However, the public is generally unaware of such valuable nurse-led innovations. When President Joe Biden put together the COVID-19 task force for his administration, the original members invited did not include a nurse. Nurses are often not visible in federal, state and local government media briefings of committees and task forces that develop the policy for strategic direction in healthcare. Yet we are the ones on the front lines, delivering lifesaving care.
Earlier in my career I was a bedside labor and delivery nurse. Many patients, especially those pregnant for the first time, had concerns and anxieties that “their” doctor would not be the one who would deliver their baby. Instead it would probably be a doctor in the same practice they did not know or know as well. Time and time again I witnessed their surprise when they learned that the vast majority of their care during labor and delivery was provided by nurses. The doctor comes in to deliver the baby. It is often the first time the patient realizes that if you are admitted to a hospital, it is because you need nursing care.
One of the largest threats to patient safety is saying, “This is the way we have always done it.” When we look specifically at maternal care, the way we have always done it is delivering dismal results based on maternal morbidity and mortality. Recent studies show that the U.S. is an outlier among other wealthy nations when it comes to maternal healthcare. In 2020, while the average maternal mortality rate stood at 12 deaths per 100,000 live births across high-income nations, the U.S. recorded a figure almost double that. For a system to get different results, we must look at redesigning the system.
Many healthcare sectors have adopted technology to improve patient outcomes. I now serve as an executive in a healthcare technology company that provides automated AI-driven early warning notifications of worsening trends for pregnant people and their unborn babies when in labor and delivery. For us, recognizing the expertise and value of nurses is a natural — and a critical — element in our success. We recently created a national advisory board, with an array of nurses from across the country sharing their skills and talents, helping guide the company’s mission and goals. Ultimately, we believe this will bring smarter products to support better patient outcomes.
Nurses are directly involved in using technologies as part of their daily work: Their involvement in the development and implementation of technology ensures a user-centered approach. This helps create solutions that are intuitive, efficient and seamlessly integrated into existing workflows, which enhances usability and acceptance.
Nurses are also patient advocates, a role that is crucial in care delivery and brings a focus on how technology will impact the overall patient experience. The nursing perspective helps craft solutions that prioritize patient safety, comfort and well-being.
The use of advanced technology in healthcare is here and showing great promise in providing opportunities for improvement in long-standing challenges related to workforce, workflow and access to care. Including nurses in these conversations and decisions, in collaboration with all of our healthcare colleagues, greatly amplifies the positive impact for everyone.
Karen Kolega is chief nursing officer at healthcare tech company PeriGen.