Nursing Live to explore the transformational impact of technology on every aspect of the sector

The acceleration of new technologies, and the transformational impact they are having on all aspects of nursing and healthcare, are set to be key topics at Nursing Live. 

Expert speakers closely involved with the integration of digitalised systems into the nursing landscape will include Tim James, co-chair of the RCN’s Digital Nursing Forum, and NHS England senior manager Jason Westwood, who is part of the Nursing Directorate’s Professional & System Leadership Team.

These, and others, will be discussing how digitalised systems are rapidly changing everything from community nursing to group consultations, and how innovations like remote monitoring, wearable tech, healthcare apps, and digital diagnosis, are helping to address many key clinical challenges.      

One discussion panel, entitled How technology in healthcare can solve frontline challenges today, while future proofing for tomorrow, will also feature Dr Kate Knight, Head of Practice Learning at the University of Chester, Professor Ann-Marie Cannaby, Clinical Advisory Board member and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health at Coventry University, and Professor Sultan Mahmud, Healthcare Director at BT.

They will be discussing the pivotal role that technology plays in healthcare, and specifically how digital solutions can help address frontline challenges. It will also explore use-cases of digitised ways of working, and highlight why co-creation is crucial for success.

Another Nursing Live session will focus on the experience of Fiona Mills, Senior Divisional Nursing Informatics Lead for Oxford University Hospitals’ NOTSSCaN division. 

Fiona will share with delegates what a day in the life of a digital nurse looks like, and discuss how the role may evolve in the future. She will also explore the anxiety (and sometimes frustration) which stems from the increasing use of technology in the workplace, and the potential benefits it could bring in terms of helping all nursing staff deliver better care.

Commenting on her session, Fiona said: “I feel very passionate about the importance of digital as a specialist branch of nursing, I would like to raise the profile of digital nursing and hopefully inspire others to look at digital nursing as a career pathway. There is so much we can offer today’s workforce, as digital touches every aspect of healthcare. How we promote the use of appropriate technologies is also important, as is ensuring there is a strong, central nursing voice within the digital space.”

As well as reflecting on the changes being driven by digitalisation within specific areas of nursing, Nursing Live’s focus on the wider impact of technology is in response to what nursing staff from across the profession have told us.

For example, Anita Astle MBE, MD of Wren Hall Nursing Home, said: “Digital technology can help us to function more efficiently and effectively, and reduce the risk of burnout. But from my experience, I think very few nurses are aware of the full breadth of digital technologies that are available. So having an event like Nursing Live will showcase what's possible, and allow people to explore new technologies.”

Fiona Murphy MBE, Director of Nursing for Liverpool Royal Foundation Trust, told us: “Technology is going at such a fast pace, I think it makes people of my generation a little bit cautious. We’re not all like the 20-year olds that are coming into nursing today who are digital savvy, and it takes a bit longer for people like me, who are long in the tooth, to adapt. But the positive impact of having smart digital services makes such a difference. We need to grasp that, and hold it.” 

And Jan Ross, Chief Executive of The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, added: “What does the future of nursing look like with innovation technology and new medical techniques? How can we make things easier for nurses, while delivering  the care that patients expect and deserve? Nurses will always be at the forefront of these issues.

“You’ll never be aware of what you can't see, so to go to an event like Nursing Live - where you can see new technology all in one place and talk to people about how it's been used – will demonstrate what works, and what it means to individual patients.”

For details of all the digital, technology and innovation talks and presentations at Nursing Live, use the fully searchable programme guide.