Who Run the Ward? Nurse-Led Innovation and the Fight for Equity in Healthcare with Dr. Katie Boston-Leary

In this Nurses’ Month special episode, Tech It to the Limit co-hosts Sarah Harper and Elliott Wilson honor nurses for their dedication and pivotal role in healthcare innovation. This episode explores the ongoing challenges in digital healthcare technology, the mistakes made by overlooking nurses in tech design, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how we can create nurse-centered designs to improve healthcare systems. They also interview Dr. Katie Boston-Leary, Senior VP of Equity and Engagement at the American Nurses Association, who brings over 30 years of leadership experience to discuss how health tech can better serve nurses and patients alike.

Key Takeaways

• The importance of nurse-centered design in healthcare tech and why it’s essential for designers to involve nurses throughout the entire product lifecycle
• How AI and automation in healthcare tools are often ineffective without input from nurses, leading to errors and inefficiencies
• The impact of gender bias and misogyny in technology development, contributing to the underrepresentation of nurses in health tech decision-making
• The need for empathy in leadership, where healthcare leaders must engage with their teams, understand their challenges, and adapt technology to support—not replace—human connection
• Dr. Katie Boston Leary’s insights into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in healthcare, and how healthcare leaders should be responsible for both the intent and impact of their decisions

In this episode:

• [00:00:00] Introduction to Nurses Month & Why It’s Important to Highlight Nurses in Tech
• [00:02:05] New Segment: Tech That Didn’t Ask a Nurse, Highlighting Tech Blunders
• [00:17:00] Why nurse-centered design matters and how it benefits patient outcomes
• [00:20:00] Interview with Dr. Katie Boston Leary: Nurses Leading the Charge for Change in Health Tech
• [00:23:30] The Role of DEI in healthcare leadership and tech development
• [00:27:00] How to approach repairing trust in technology and healthcare
• [00:30:30] Empathy, collaboration, and leadership: Building a better tech ecosystem for healthcare
• [00:38:00] Wrapping up Nurses Month & Honoring Healthcare Workers
• [00:40:30] Closing Remarks: Stay Tuned for Next Month’s Episode

Notable Quotes:

[03:40 - 03:59] “If you’re building healthcare technology without involving nurses, you’re doing it wrong. You can’t create something that works for them if you don’t ask them what they need.” – Elliott Wilson

[12:14 - 12:30] “Technology is meant to support nurses, not to make their jobs harder. We’ve got to get it right from the start.” – Sarah Harper

[34:01 - 34:15] “You can’t fix healthcare with just a product. You need the right people at the table, and that includes the nurses who are on the front lines every day.” – Dr. Katie Boston-Leary

Resources and Links

Dr. Katie Boston-Leary

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebostonleary

Sarah Harper

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbethharper/

Elliott Wilson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewelliottwilson/