Nurses are the backbone of the NHS, making up more than half of professionally qualified clinical staff and delivering 90% of direct patient care. As a result, they are in an ideal position to drive innovations in technology, patient care and clinical outcomes. Yet, despite this pivotal role, their voices are often underutilised when it comes to shaping the digital future of healthcare.
The integration of technology is often seen as a necessity to ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of the NHS. Studies indicate that 15% of nursing time could be freed up through the better use of digital technologies, automation and improved task delegation. However, this promise of efficiency comes with significant caveats. The technology currently being implemented is far from perfect and done poorly can negatively impact the workforce, contributing to job dissatisfaction, burnout and ultimately leading many nurses to leave the profession altogether.
“Nurse leadership is essential in shaping policies around these innovations”
Nurses today are expected to engage with increasingly complex technologies as part of their routine practice, but too often, these systems are not designed with them in mind. Poorly implemented digital tools, especially clunky electronic health records, have become an additional burden rather than a relief.
The current failure to optimise technology for nursing staff has wider implications too. Data on nursing inputs and patient outcomes is not routinely captured nor used effectively. This poses a real threat to continuous improvement efforts, regulatory oversight and overall patient safety. Without comprehensive data on nursing activities, it is difficult to identify areas for improvement, assess quality or predict trends that could help improve care.
Nurses are at the forefront of patient care and the information they gather can be instrumental in making it more personalised and effective. This is where technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) could revolutionise nursing. AI has the potential to turn the massive volumes of data nurses collect into actionable insights that could personalise care and address inequalities. But without active nurse involvement in its design and implementation, we risk developing tools that do not fit the reality of clinical practice.
Nurse leadership is essential in shaping policies around these innovations to ensure they are effective, practical, and beneficial. But one of the key gaps in the digital transformation of healthcare is the lack of support for nursing leaders. They need more training in digital health if they are to shape the future of their profession effectively.
The recent Darzi review underscored the urgent need to address the biggest challenges facing the NHS, including the adoption of digital technologies. However, technology alone cannot solve these challenges. The review provides a timely reminder that, while technology can be part of the solution, its implementation must be done with care, foresight, and most importantly, the input of those who will use it most – nurses.
The success of NHS digital transformation rests on the shoulders of its nursing workforce. They must be empowered through training, leadership opportunities, and inclusion in the design and policy-making surrounding new technologies. Without the active engagement of nurses, the NHS risks developing solutions that fail to address the real issues on the front line.
Natasha Phillips is founder, Future Nurse, and former national chief nursing information officer, NHS England