It’s been almost 70 years since the idea of publicly recognizing nurses was first discussed — and while healthcare has undergone huge changes in nearly seven decades, the fact remains that nurses continue to serve one of the most critical roles in delivering patient care.

 As nurses, we understand that our role continues to evolve within healthcare as a whole — and the tools that nurses use in delivering care are also changing.

That’s why this year, we’ll be hosting and attending several events aimed at exploring new innovations that help nurses in their critical role of making the safest, most appropriate decisions for their patients. One of the most exciting advances in health IT is the ongoing development of technology that assists clinical decision-making and engages patients in their care.

When I think about how far we've come with providing care across the entire care continuum, it reminds me of one of my favorite documentaries, Remaking American Medicine. 

One of the patients this PBS series introduces is a woman with multiple chronic diseases. It's clear how important her community is, in making sure that she and her many caregivers are all on the same page.

It goes without saying that nurses are busy. Caring for patients and keeping up with documentation (amidst their many other clinical responsibilities) takes up the majority of their time and resources. However, there are tools that nurses should add to their arsenal, that won’t take more time out of their day, but rather, give time back to them.

I recently attended an Advisory Board session on nurse manager overload and the contributing factors that lead to nurse burnout. We all know that nurse burnout is an issue that affects both staff and patients, so it was an enlightening topic to learn more about.

 Of all caregivers, nurses tend to have the most interactions with patients. They're the ones that inpatients call if something is wrong, and they are also often the point of contact for the patient’s family. So nurses have perhaps the greatest opportunity to create a safer environment for patients.

We all know that things can change in an instant, especially when it comes to patient care. Add to that having a bunch of patients to care for at a time, and prioritizing care and managing patient populations can become rather difficult.

This is where surveillance comes in.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans are likely to die each year from a drug overdose than from traffic accidents. And opioids account for more than three out of five overdose deaths.