Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference focuses on AI, ethics and innovation

The Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference brought nurse leaders and informaticists from public and private institutions across the United States to Minneapolis to discuss the improvement of health and health care by using nursing knowledge empowered by informatics.

This year’s conference, held June 5-7 at McNamara Alumni Center, explored artificial intelligence (AI), nursing innovations, and the ethical implications of using technologies for nursing care.

University of Minnesota School of Nursing Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, moderated the panel AI, Ethics, & Innovation with panelists Tracee Coleman, MS, RN, CPHIMS, Responsible Use of AI program manager at UnitedHealth Group, and Ryannon K. Frederick, MS, RN, Mayo Clinic chief nursing officer. Max Topaz, PhD, RN, FAAN, Elizabeth Standish Gill Associate Professor of Nursing at Columbia University Medical Center, provided prepared remarks virtually.

Panelists shared their core approaches to AI and the opportunities and challenges they see for its use in their organizations. They discussed the role of stakeholders, including governments, health care and nursing leaders, researchers and patients, in shaping policies that include the importance of integrating ethics into the innovation process to foster the responsible and sustainable advancement of AI technologies.

“We celebrate this phenomenal opportunity that we’re all participating in of advancing AI while also reaffirming keeping the technology and personhood – the head and heart – connected. In that way we will come in with the most viable and trustworthy pathways to move forward,” said White Delaney.

Peter Klein, Educated Change chairman, delivered the keynote AI, Your Social Mirror to Your Data, Your Digital Twin is in the Data. Klein encouraged attendees to use love to empower individuals and businesses to amplify their purpose, build communities and make AI safe.

Oriana Beaudet, DNP, RN, PHN, ANA Enterprise vice president of nursing innovation, delivered the keynote Where is Healthcare’s Heartbeat in Our High-Tech Future?

Rebecca Freeman moderated the panel Tech Talks: Transformative Uses of Nursing Data by EHR Partners with panelists Joe Zillmer, BS, Epic Systems nurse wellbeing/technical coordinator, Kersten Bartelt, BS, RN, Epic Systems research clinician; CJ Robison, BSN, RN, Oracle Health Innovation & Scientific Advisory; and Cathy Turner, MBA, BSN, RN-BC, Meditech chief marketing and nursing executive.

The eight NKBDS workgroups reported on major achievements and discussed top priorities for the coming year.

There were four preconference tracks, including Project Showcase on Multi-Modal Approaches to Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) with Sripriya Rajamani, MBBS, PhD, MPH, FAMIA, University of Minnesota School of Nursing associate professor, and Robin Austin, PhD, DNP, DC, RN-BC, FAMIA, FNAP, University of Minnesota School of Nursing assistant professor; Encoding Nursing Knowledge Models with LOINC and SNOMED CT with Susan Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, Intermountain Healthcare medical informaticist; Playing with FHIR, Safely with Laura Heermann Langford, PhD, RN, FAMIA, Logica chief operating officer; and Advancing Excellence: The Adaptable, Transformative Multimodal Nursing Informatics Framework for use in Nursing Education and Practice with Dorcas Kunkel, DNP, RN, PHN, CNE, CPHIMS, FNAP, University of Minnesota School of Nursing clinical associate professor and Mary Jane Rivard, DNP, NI-BC, University of North Dakota clinical assistant professor.