Nursing Informatics: Why You Need to Get in the Tech Game, Or At Least Understand It (Before It Leaves You Behind)

Alright, nurse, let’s talk about something that might not be on your radar but should be—nursing informatics. Yeah, yeah, I hear you. You signed up to care for people, not mess around with AI models and data sets. But here’s the hard truth: technology is running full speed ahead in healthcare, and if nurses don’t step up, we’ll be stuck cleaning up the mess instead of shaping the future.

Enter Cheryl Field, a powerhouse in nursing informatics, who just dropped some serious knowledge in our latest RNegade podclass with host Karen. Cheryl isn’t just another tech evangelist—she’s a nurse who’s been in the trenches, knows exactly what doesn’t work in healthcare, and is on a mission to make sure we have a say in what comes next.

Nurses + Tech = The Future of Healthcare

You already know that tech is creeping into every aspect of patient care. EMRs, predictive analytics, AI-driven diagnostics, automated documentation—some of it’s helpful, some of it’s just another layer of busywork. The difference? Whether nurses have a seat at the table when these systems are designed.

Cheryl makes it crystal clear: nurses MUST be involved in developing and implementing healthcare tech. If we don’t, we’re leaving it to IT folks who’ve never had to juggle patient care, a crashing EMR, and a full bladder at the same time. We know where the bottlenecks are, where automation actually helps (and where it’s just another headache), and how tech can make or break patient care.

So why aren’t more of us stepping into informatics roles?

“But I’m a Nurse, Not a Tech Nerd” – Why That Excuse Won’t Cut It

Look, no one’s saying you need to ditch the bedside and start coding (unless you want to—then hell yes, do it). But if we keep treating technology as someone else’s job, we’re going to get stuck with systems that don’t work for us or our patients.

AI is already shaping decision-making in healthcare. Predictive data collection is being used to flag sepsis before it spirals, identify patients at high risk for readmission, and streamline workflows. But without nurses guiding these innovations, biases in data collection and decision-making can lead to worse patient outcomes instead of better ones.

We already see what happens when tech gets implemented without nursing input—clunky charting systems that add hours to your shift, alarms that go off so often they become background noise, and protocols that make no sense in the real world. Cheryl is here to say: Enough. Nurses deserve a voice in shaping these tools.

AI: Friend, Foe, or Just Another Thing to Manage?

One of the biggest concerns around AI in healthcare? Bias. If the data being used to train AI models is flawed (which, let’s be real, it is), the results will be, too. AI can be a game-changer, but only if nurses are involved in making sure it’s being used responsibly.

Cheryl breaks down how predictive analytics, automated triaging, and AI-driven documentation can actually reduce burnout—IF we use them right. Imagine a world where tech actually lightens your workload instead of adding to it. Where algorithms flag patient deterioration in real-time, so you catch it before it turns into a crisis. Where documentation happens as you care for the patient, not as a two-hour time-suck at the end of your shift.

It’s possible. But only if nurses start demanding tech that works for them, not against them.

Finding Your Voice in the Future of Nursing

Cheryl isn’t just talking about the “what ifs.” She’s living proof that nurses can transition from bedside to tech-focused roles without losing their connection to patient care. Informatics isn’t about walking away from nursing—it’s about making sure nurses are leading the innovation that shapes patient outcomes.

So, what’s stopping you? Fear of stepping into something unfamiliar? Thinking you need a master’s in computer science? Newsflash: nursing informatics isn’t about coding—it’s about clinical expertise, problem-solving, and advocating for solutions that actually work.

Earn Nursing CEs While Learning How to Future-Proof Your Career

If you’re ready to start thinking bigger about your role in healthcare, this podclass is your roadmap. And because we believe in rewarding nurses who take charge of their own learning, you can earn nursing CEs just by tuning in.

Tech isn’t going away—it’s evolving fast. You can either be part of the change, or you can spend the next decade complaining about systems you had no say in.

What’s it gonna be, nurse?

🎧 Listen to the full podclass with Cheryl Field now and start earning your CEs. Because if anyone’s going to shape the future of healthcare, it should be you.