Podcast Summary: The Rise of Ambient Tech in Nursing

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: The Rise of Ambient Tech in Nursing with Kathleen Maki-Harmon and Jesus Diaz
Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Lucas Vaz
Guests: Jesus Diaz (Director of Nursing Informatics, Memorial Healthcare System) and Kathleen Harmon (Nursing Informatics & Innovation Advisor, AVA Health)

Overview

This episode delves into the emergence and impact of “ambient technology” and AI-driven tools in the world of nursing. Host Lucas Vaz is joined by Jesus Diaz and Kathleen Harmon, two industry leaders in nursing informatics, to discuss how AI is changing the way nurses document, deliver, and enhance patient care. The conversation touches on adoption challenges, the necessity of designing AI solutions by and for nurses, the integration of these tools into real-world workflows, and tangible outcomes including improvements in time management, cost reduction, and patient experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Backgrounds & Experience

• Jesus Diaz: Brings 17 years of clinical nursing experience and 8 years in nursing informatics, overseeing technology deployment for 17,000+ staff across six hospitals. He champions tech that gives nurses more time at the bedside.

  • “I use my informatics expertise to deliver solutions that helps caregivers harness technology to provide smarter, smoother and higher impact care.” (01:00)

• Kathleen Harmon: With 38 years in nursing and 18 in consulting, Kathleen emphasizes a use-case, outcomes-first approach to tech deployment.

  • “My expertise includes workflow, automation, change management, smart room components including virtual care and AI. ... Technology is a silent enabler of leading practice.” (01:20)

2. Evolution and Barriers to AI Adoption in Nursing

• Adoption Lag: Both speakers agree the nursing profession has been slow to adopt AI, especially compared to physician roles.

  • Jesus Diaz: Notes slow development in governance and trust, and emphasizes the need for products built “for nurses by nurses.” (02:48)

    • “Nurses tend to be a bit skeptical with what I'll call the new shiny objects.” (02:52)
    • Highlights AVA Health’s Assistant as a breakthrough in nurse-centric innovation.

  • Kathleen Harmon: Points out workflows for physicians and nurses are vastly different, and tools often ignore nursing’s specific needs.

    • “AI for nurses must be designed by nurses for nurses.” (03:31)
    • Emphasizes documenting burdens—nurses spend 40% of their day on data entry, which AI can streamline.

3. Essential Features for Ambient Tech

• Integration & Workflow: Both agree that success hinges on seamless, end-to-end workflow integration—especially voice-driven interfaces that feel natural for nurses and don’t add to the “shiny object overload.”

  • Kathleen Harmon: Calls for “undisruptive” workflow prompts—AI should not add more intrusive alerts or noise.

    • “We don't need another ring or Bing, an alarm or an alert. ... An AI solution with workflow prompts built in that are not disruptive ... is so important.” (04:51)
    • Value of voice control: “I can ... play an education video for my patient, or even ask for additional assistance in the room, all hands free...” (05:40)

  • Jesus Diaz: Describes seamless partnership integrations (e.g., Zebra, AVA Health) where nurses can document in real time, cutting down time-consuming, after-the-fact EHR data entry.

    • “There's no fuss, no having to go back into the EHR to validate their interaction ... You do it all right there in real time.” (06:27)

4. Success Metrics & Outcomes

• Clinical & Operational Outcomes:

  • Jesus Diaz: Health systems track outcomes such as:

    • Increased documentation accuracy
    • Decreased overtime costs
    • Greater patient face-time and staff satisfaction
      • “You’re increasing the patient experience by having more face time with the patient.” (07:32)

  • Kathleen Harmon: Shares data from early AVA Assistant adopters:

    • Staff Engagement: Within 48 hours, 20% of all documentation was done via voice. (08:16)
    • Overtime Costs: >50% reduction seen in overtime attributed to documentation.
    • Patient Satisfaction: A nearly 40% rise in patients who “feel like their nurse is present,” with patients noting they like hearing their care discussed aloud.
      • “They feel more included and they feel like the nurse is more present, not having to step away or turn away to document.” (09:20)
    • Quality & Safety: Batch charting drops by 90%, making fresher data available for care decisions.

5. Key Takeaways and the Future

• Co-Design Is Vital: Jesus underscores the need for ongoing nurse input into solution design rather than reusing physician tools.

  • “…Continue to partner with nurses to co design from the ground up, not to repurpose physician tools in order to continue to be successful.” (11:03)

• High-Tech, High-Touch Care: Kathleen highlights the synergy of automation and virtual care, with voice assistants as the innovation foundation.

  • “The foundation of all of that is AI Voice Assistant ... that's going to connect all of our innovation in the future.” (12:05)
  • “I always say it's about time.” (12:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Nurses tend to be a bit skeptical with what I'll call the new shiny objects.” — Jesus Diaz (02:52)
• “AI for nurses must be designed by nurses for nurses.” — Kathleen Harmon (03:31)
• “We don't need another ring or Bing, an alarm or an alert. ... Enhance the completeness and accuracy of documentation.” — Kathleen Harmon (04:51)
• “There's no fuss, no having to go back into the EHR ... you do it all right there in real time. That's a huge time saver.” — Jesus Diaz (06:27)
• “Within the first 48 hours of this launch, 20% of all documentation was completed via voice.” — Kathleen Harmon (08:23)
• “A nearly 40% of patients feeling like their nurse is present with them ... because they like to hear us talk about their care.” — Kathleen Harmon (09:16)
• “Batch charting ... decreases by 90%—the information is there for clinical decision support to work effectively.” — Kathleen Harmon (09:45)
• “The foundation of all of that is AI Voice Assistant … that's going to connect all of our innovation in the future.” — Kathleen Harmon (12:08)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Guest Introductions

  • Jesus Diaz (01:00)
  • Kathleen Harmon (01:16)

• State of AI in Nursing and Adoption Challenges

  • Jesus Diaz (02:48)
  • Kathleen Harmon (03:31)

• Key Features for Nurse-Centric AI

  • Kathleen Harmon (04:51)
  • Jesus Diaz (06:27)

• Success Measures & Outcomes (Adoption, ROI, Satisfaction)

  • Jesus Diaz (07:32)
  • Kathleen Harmon (08:16)

• Final Thoughts: The Future of Ambient Tech in Nursing

  • Jesus Diaz (11:03)
  • Kathleen Harmon (12:05)

Conclusion

This episode provides a practical, forward-looking discussion about the transformative potential of ambient AI technologies in nursing. By focusing on nurse-led design, seamless integration into existing workflows, and clear, well-defined outcomes, both guests demonstrate how smart ambient tech offers not only time and cost savings, but most importantly, a deeper, more present nurse-patient relationship. The message is clear: true innovation must empower nurses where it matters most—at the bedside—making their jobs both easier and more meaningful.