Why Nurses Are Key to Medical Innovation | Ben Gran | TED

Summary

In this TEDx Talk, a new nurse reflects on the challenges and opportunities in healthcare innovation. He emphasizes the need for nurses to be central in the development of new technologies and processes, highlighting the disconnect between developers and end-users. Through his personal experiences, he calls for a shift in nursing education to include cross-disciplinary collaboration, fostering innovation from the ground up. With growing healthcare challenges, he urges nurses to be recognized as key stakeholders in shaping the future of healthcare, ensuring technologies serve both professionals and patients effectively.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nurses are passionate about their work but face challenges when new technologies are introduced in healthcare, often leading to frustration.
• 😀 There is a significant disconnect between healthcare tech developers and the end users (nurses), with many new technologies being difficult to use or adding to nurses' workload.
• 😀 Innovation in healthcare should prioritize improving the working conditions of nurses, which in turn would enhance patient care.
• 😀 Education in nursing should focus more on developing innovation skills, encouraging nurses to think critically about existing tools and processes.
• 😀 Cross-professional collaboration in university settings can foster innovation by combining knowledge from nursing, engineering, business, and design fields.
• 😀 Nurses should be actively involved in the development of healthcare technologies, as they understand the practical issues and can provide invaluable feedback on improvements.
• 😀 The nursing education system needs to break out of its 'nursing bubble' and create more opportunities for students to interact with other disciplines to promote innovation.
• 😀 With the growing shortage of nurses and an aging population, it’s essential to integrate technology into healthcare to reduce the burden on nurses and improve care quality.
• 😀 The future of nursing involves not just direct care but also roles like healthcare information integration, consulting, and coaching, supported by AI and technology.
• 😀 Nurses need more support, recognition, and opportunities to innovate. A shift in leadership and financial support is necessary to create a culture where innovation is encouraged in healthcare settings.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main message in this talk?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of nurses being actively involved in healthcare innovation. He advocates for integrating nurses' insights into the development of new technologies to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals.

Why does the speaker mention the response of the ward manager regarding innovation?

The speaker shares this experience to highlight the disconnect between those creating healthcare technologies (such as engineers and businesspeople) and the end users (nurses). The response reveals that many innovations fail to meet the practical needs of nurses, which can result in frustration.

What role do nurses play in the development of healthcare technologies?

Nurses play a critical role as they are the end users of healthcare technologies. They have first-hand experience of the challenges with current tools and can offer valuable insights to improve these technologies, making them more user-friendly and effective.

How can nursing education be improved to foster innovation?

Nursing education should incorporate more cross-disciplinary collaboration, encouraging students to work with peers from fields like engineering, business, and IT. This would help future nurses understand how to think creatively, solve problems, and become more involved in innovation within healthcare.

What is the 'nursing bubble' that the speaker refers to?

The 'nursing bubble' refers to the isolated focus of nursing education, where students are taught only the skills specific to their profession. This creates a narrow perspective and limits their ability to think creatively or collaborate with other disciplines, such as technology or business, to drive innovation.

What are some of the challenges nurses face in adopting new technologies?

Nurses often face challenges with new technologies that are not user-friendly or add to their already heavy workloads. They also have to deal with technologies that are in beta stages, leading to flaws that disrupt their workflow, further contributing to frustration.

How does the speaker suggest solving the healthcare system's current challenges?

The speaker suggests an integrative approach where education, technology, governance, leadership, laws, and finances are all taken into consideration. Nurses need to be included as key stakeholders in the development and implementation of new technologies.

What is the significance of cross-course collaboration in nursing education?

Cross-course collaboration exposes nursing students to diverse perspectives and skills. By working with students from different fields, such as design and engineering, nurses can develop innovative ideas and solutions that can improve healthcare systems.

Why does the speaker argue that nurses should be involved in the design phase of healthcare technologies?

Involving nurses in the design phase is essential because they are the ones who use the technologies daily. Their experience gives them a deep understanding of the practical problems and inefficiencies that technologies can address, making them crucial contributors to the design process.

What is the predicted global nursing shortage, and how does it relate to innovation?

The World Health Organization predicts a global nursing shortage of 9 million by 2030, primarily due to aging nurses, poor retention, and a lack of new entrants into the field. This shortage underscores the need for technological innovations that can alleviate nurses' workload, enhance their roles, and improve patient care.