Voice of the President | Jan 2025
Last October we lost one of the true visionaries in our profession, Karlene Kerfoot. She was brilliant and insightful, bringing a unique mix of humor, humility, compassion and strategic vision to her work as a nurse leader. Karlene saw potential in places others might overlook, believing in nursing’s ability to lead and shape health care transformation through technology adoption. Her relentless advocacy for nursing’s place in the digital evolution pushed us all to see the potential in technology and, more importantly, our essential role in guiding its development, implementation and governance. In April 2022, she joined forces with Nanne Finis to form the Leadership, Innovation and Technology Transformation (LITT) Committee, a coalition of nursing informatics experts and technology advocates. Together, they convened industry leaders, technology experts and regulators to shape guiding principles for nursing in technology. By ensuring the nursing profession, the largest in health care, has a seat at the table, they have created a foundation for us to build upon. In this issue, Finis and co-authors share the evolution of the LITT Committee and its guiding principles to help nurse leaders shape and prepare themselves for the digital transformation of health care.
Karlene’s last days were marked by immense joy and pride in her work with AONL and the LITT Committee. Her message to us is clear: the time is now for nurse leaders to fully embrace the call to ensure technology is optimized to support the practice of nursing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are changing the landscape of health care at a remarkable pace. This issue of Voice of Nursing Leadership addresses the vital role of nurse leaders in shaping these technologies, underscoring the need for our voices in the development, implementation and oversight of these advancements. Our clinical expertise is instrumental in ensuring AI’s practical application, making sure it serves not only as an innovation but also as a trusted ally in improving care quality and patient outcomes.
Our clinical expertise is instrumental in ensuring AI’s practical application, making sure it serves not only as an innovation but also as a trusted ally in improving care quality and patient outcomes.
AI is no longer just a topic for future planning — it’s here and becoming integrated across clinical, operational and administrative functions. From predictive analytics and patient monitoring systems to streamlined clinical documentation, AI has the potential to improve clinical outcomes, increase efficiency, and enhance clinician and patient satisfaction. However, the role of AI must be purposeful, grounded in a vision that complements our commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care. Nurse leaders are key to this, guiding technology’s integration in ways that ensure it genuinely supports nursing practice and aligns with our values.
As AI’s presence grows, maintaining clarity around its purpose is crucial. Barbara Seymour calls on nurse leaders to play a central role in AI governance by ensuring technology addresses real clinical challenges rather than adopting solutions simply for their novelty. In this way, AI serves as a meaningful ally to nursing, directly enhancing patient care and clinical workflows. Aligning AI initiatives with an organization’s digital strategy also brings cohesion, making investments in technology relevant, purposeful and effective. Building trust across teams is equally essential. By sharing updates and collaborating with clinicians, nurse leaders create a culture of acceptance and understanding around AI-driven changes.
Defining clear metrics to evaluate clinical, operational and financial outcomes is another cornerstone of successful technology adoption. These measures not only clarify the value AI brings to the table but help ensure it actively contributes to high-quality care, patient safety and clinician well-being. Our collective insights allow us to help steer technology toward improvements that are both measurable and meaningful.
Being part of the decision-making process ensures that AI and other tools work to reduce burdens rather than add to them. Cindy Dutton shares a successful initiative to reduce nurse documentation burden by improving electronic health record (EHR) usability through the elimination of unnecessary EHR assessment data elements. Nurses played an integral role in developing, implementing and refining the initiative, improving nurse efficiency while maintaining quality of care.
Technologies that ease administrative tasks, as we know, create more time for patient interactions, a fundamental benefit to both nurses and those they serve. This need for practical application extends to technology’s adaptability as well, with nurse leaders advocating for tools versatile enough to meet the varied demands of different clinical environments.
As AI becomes embedded in our work, nurse leaders are essential to guiding the development of ethical guidelines. Natalie Webb shares some of the ethical challenges brought forth from the adoption of AI and highlights the need for policies and guidelines to address bias, fairness and accountability. Nurse leaders can provide important insights to protect patient safety, privacy and dignity, ensuring that technology remains a responsible and compassionate partner in health care delivery.
A forward-thinking AI governance model that centers on inclusivity benefits from interprofessional collaboration. Nurse leaders can support this model by equipping their teams with knowledge and training early in the process, helping them navigate and understand the changes AI brings. Building a collaborative framework that includes information technology, finance, legal and medical leaders also strengthens AI’s relevance, allowing it to reflect a broad range of perspectives.
Karlene’s vision reminds us of our potential. The LITT Committee laid the groundwork, but it’s up to us to continue. By participating in the evolution of health care technology, we honor Karlene’s legacy and contribute to a future where AI supports our goals of high-quality, compassionate and patient-centered care.
Let’s make our voices heard. Together, we can build a future where AI not only complements but also enhances nursing practice, paving the way for a healthier, more efficient and inclusive health care system.