Trust, Technology, and Tradition: Repositioning Nursing at the Forefront of Healthcare Innovation

Angela Cox is a Clinical Technology Associate Principal for Introba & Nautilus Solutions and currently serves as a member of the HIMSS Professional Development Committee.

May holds great significance for me, both personally and professionally. We celebrate National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and honor the global impact of nurses on International Nurses Day, which also marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale. As a nurse and someone who has worked alongside some of the most skilled and compassionate professionals in the field, I deeply appreciate this recognition.

When I transitioned into nursing over fifteen years ago, following a career in healthcare social work, I accepted a pay cut. I did so knowingly, driven by the profound impact of the role and the vast opportunities the profession offers. From our earliest leaders, like Florence Nightingale, it is no surprise that nursing remains consistently ranked as the most trusted profession.

Nurses provide critical insights, systems-level thinking, and a patient-centered perspective across all areas of healthcare. Their contributions are particularly essential in technology, where their frontline experience ensures that innovation remains both practical and human-centered. The relationship between nursing and technology is inherently collaborative, and if the exhibition at HIMSS25 is any indication, its potential to transform healthcare is just beginning to be realized.

One of the most impactful intersections of nursing and technology is healthcare design. Nurses’ deep understanding of patient care and clinical workflows allows them to influence the development of systems such as nurse call integrations, digital whiteboards, and smart room technologies. Yet their value extends far beyond environmental design.

Nurses are central to clinical workflow optimization, human factors integration, digital health innovation, and the development of clinical decision support tools. They assess usability, identify unintended consequences, and advocate for equitable, patient-centered design. Their presence supports effective change management, facilitates technology adoption, and strengthens implementation strategies. Their participation in testing and design ideation ensures that new technologies are both clinically relevant and operationally sustainable. In the future, the consumer of healthcare technology will ask, “Was a nurse involved in this design, and to what extent?”

Finally, as healthcare shifts toward digitally enabled, decentralized, and value-driven models, the role of the nurse is not diminished. It is redefined and elevated. Nurses ensure continuity across fragmented care settings, bridge the gap between technology and human connection, and address the social and clinical complexities that influence outcomes. Their clinical judgment, adaptability, and holistic perspective make them indispensable in delivering equitable, efficient, patient-centered care.

From hand-drawn charts in wartime hospitals to real-time analytics in smart facilities, nurses have always been agents of transformation. Florence Nightingale connects today’s work to a rich lineage of innovation, data use, and patient-centered thinking. Her legacy helps reinforce that nurses have long driven meaningful change not only at the bedside but also at the systems level. This is not a new idea. It is the continuation of a powerful tradition.

Given their expertise and proximity to the point of care, nurses should be integral members of any healthcare technology development team, from ideation through implementation. Their inclusion is not just beneficial; it is essential to creating health innovations that are safe, effective, and genuinely responsive to the needs of both patients and providers.