The Power of Clinical Innovation

What a brilliant day we had at the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Digital Festival at the University of Salford.  These events always bring together clinicians with such drive and innovation, and I can honestly say I left with a stronger fire in my belly than when I arrived. It was a great day for thinking about digital nurse careers, which always really resonates with me, as someone who stumbled into this world by chance. Seeing the passion and possibility that digital gives us for making things better for both patients and clinicians was the central theme that tied the entire festival together. It was a superb opportunity to meet with so many senior digital nurses and leaders who are truly the advocates for our entire workforce.

Pathways to a Digital Career

During the day I was busy recording for the Future Nurse Notes LIVE! podcast and my panellists talking about digital nurse careers were particularly insightful, highlighting that there is no single route into digital nursing. We heard from incredible trailblazers like Pete White (CNIO at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust), Stephanie Bateman (Specialist Nurse for Innovation at Health Innovation Manchester) and Sharon O’Connor (CNIO at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust). The key takeaway, reinforced time and again, was that for digital nurses, technical knowledge is far less important than core nursing and communications skills. As Pete pointed out, being a great communicator and having that professional curiosity is what truly makes an effective digital nurse. Stephanie, who described herself as a “troublemaker” always looking for service improvement initiatives, urged early career nurses to “speak up” and insert themselves into the conversation. And Sharon, who stepped into a CNIO role without a background in either digital or mental health, proved that leadership and the ability to translate clinical need into technical solutions are the essential skills.

Salford’s Groundbreaking Approach

It was fantastic to hear Professor Neil Withnell, Associate Dean Academic at the University of Salford, detail the truly unique work being done right here in the faculty. They are leading the field by ensuring their nursing students are digitally enabled from the outset with their groundbreaking Digital Skills Passport for nurses (DiSKPass). This isn’t just a generic digital course; it’s an extra module woven throughout the three years of training, covering everything from digital proficiency and professionalism to crucial areas like cyber security and the power of social media.

Equipping Nurses for the Future

The way Salford is changing the learning delivery is equally impressive. Neil explained how their nursing lecturers are moving away from traditional essay writing and instead are using modern communication methods like video and podcasting for student assessments. This focus on communication, team working, and collaboration skills practices exactly what nurses will need in their future careers, not only for patient-facing care but for sharing learning and progressing professionally. It’s exactly the kind of practical, future-focused training I wish I’d had when I was starting out.

Leaving Inspired and Focused

Overall, the Digital Festival was a huge success. The conversations with nurse leaders gave me a clear understanding of the crucial advocacy role that digital nurses play in driving transformation. We heard that their main goal is to be the voice for the nursing workforce, ensuring clinical needs are always front and centre. It’s been so encouraging to hear from everyone about how they leverage the possibilities of technology—whether they came into digital by design or by happy accident, like me!