The annual Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics brought together visionaries, informatics professionals, educators, and clinicians to explore the use of artificial intelligence in nursing.
There is a projected shortfall of more than 10 million health care workers by 2030.
Navigating an aging workforce, an increased demand for services, and a high burnout rate in the field, nurses are facing a crisis, said Kathleen McGrow, DNP ’14, MS ’02, BSN ’86, RN, PMP, FHIMSS, FAAN, global chief nursing innovation officer at Microsoft.
Enter artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI can actually help us automate some of these manual tasks that we’ve been doing so we can really focus on the high-value tasks that our providers really need to focus on,” said McGrow, who gave the keynote address, “Empowering Nurses with Artificial Intelligence,” at the 34th Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics (SINI), which the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) hosted virtually July 17-18.
SINI 2025, themed “Thriving in the Age of AI: Mastering Emerging Tech in Health Care,” brought together visionaries, informatics professionals, educators, and clinicians to explore the use of AI in nursing.
“The Summer Institute has always been a place to expand one’s knowledge and learn about the latest developments in informatics. It is also a place to explore emerging challenges, and, very importantly, a place for you to connect with colleagues and future colleagues in informatics,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and professor. “What makes this annual gathering really special is the timeliness of the issues that are always discussed. That is absolutely true for this year's conference. It explores the topic that is on all of our minds: How will we learn to thrive and master artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in our health care environment, nursing practice, and education?”