The Missing Voice in MedTech? Why Nurses Are Essential to Innovation

The Untapped Power of Nursing Insight

From managing data and lab samples, to obtaining informed consent, to training the next generation of students in neuromonitoring, Mary Anne’s role today is both broad and deeply grounded in clinical reality. She’s also actively involved in public and patient involvement initiatives, including chairing a cerebral palsy parent advisory group that has directly influenced research protocols and resource materials.

But she still sees a major gap in the system: “There are few clear pathways for nurses to get involved in AI development. It’s not part of our curriculum and even though we have so much to contribute, the opportunities to engage with engineers or designers are rare.”

That’s starting to change—but slowly. And she believes the future of neonatal care will depend on creating bigger, braver spaces for nurses to collaborate at every level.

“There’s huge opportunity here. Nurses combine technical knowledge with empathy. We understand how technology affects not just the infant—but the whole family experience. And we’re incredibly solutions-focused. If we can embed nursing perspectives earlier in the design process, the results will be better for everyone.”

Close to the Patient, Close to the Problem

Nurses are often the first to spot what works and what doesn’t. They adapt instinctively to new tools and technologies—but they also know when those tools are creating more noise than value.

“Because we are closest to the patient,” she explains, “we notice things others might miss. We know how changes in workflow can affect outcomes, or how a device might actually cause stress—for both baby and parent—despite good intentions.”

That unique perspective matters. In neonatal units, where every gram and every second counts, small design details can have a big impact. A piece of equipment that’s too bulky, too noisy, or too complex can hinder rather than help. Intuitive, portable, and non-disruptive tools are far more likely to integrate successfully into daily care.

From Observation to Advocacy

And yet, despite being closest to the point of care and often the ones expected to integrate new tools into daily routines, feedback from nurses is often sought too late, if at all.

“There’s still a top-down mindset in many areas of innovation,” she says. “Doctors and executives are consulted first. Nursing insights are frequently undervalued or unintentionally overlooked and frequently sought after the decisions have been made.”

That disconnect misses the opportunity to design solutions that truly support how care is delivered, holistically. Tools may still be accurate and effective—but without alignment to day-to-day practice, adoption and trust can be harder to achieve.

When nurses are involved from the beginning, the result is not only better design—it’s better care.

“Being acknowledged as a user, being listened to—that builds ownership. It supports implementation. It means the device actually gets used the way it was intended.”

Technology That Cares

The NICU is a high-stakes, high-emotion environment. Technology here must do more than generate data—it must support outcomes without compounding stress.

“Parents are already overwhelmed,” she says. “They’re dealing with the trauma of early birth, unexpected diagnoses, and unfamiliar equipment. They ask: ‘Does that hurt my baby?’ ‘Why is there a wire there?’ Any technology needs to be designed with that in mind.”

Design that ignores the emotional landscape of the NICU—bright lights, loud alarms, intrusive monitoring—risks doing harm, even if it delivers technically. And it may unintentionally reduce accessibility, not only for families, but also for nurses trying to provide hands-on care.

Her advice for medtech developers is simple: “Keep it intuitive.. Think about where it will sit, how it will move, what it will displace and how it will be cleaned after use. Size, sound, and ease of use matter just as much as the algorithm behind it.”

That kind of practical, real-world insight is why early-stage feasibility studies—including those informing CergenX’s own development journey—are so incredibly important. They’re shaped by feedback from parents and built on close collaboration with neonatal nurses.

Hope for the Future

Asked what gives her hope, she points to the growing integration of AI-assisted tools that support early screening and monitoring.

“I believe technology and skilled care together can really elevate what we do in the neonatal unit,” she says. “We’ve made gains in reducing mortality, but I hope we can now start to make real progress on reducing morbidity’’. 

When asked more broadly about her hopes for the future of neonatal care, inspired by midwife-led antenatal clinics, she imagines ‘nurse-led units for very low-risk infants providing a family-friendly model. We have highly experienced senior enhanced neonatal nurses and advanced neonatal nurse practitioners to manage/oversee such units. This model would include a more personalised environment which is less clinical, supports natural bonding, reduces unnecessary exposure/ interventions, enhances the overall neonatal care experience and prepares for discharge home. Parents and clinicians together would decide if and when such an environment is right for their baby, with the reassurance that expertise to escalate care if required is close at hand’.

But her message to innovators is clear: ‘Listen to nurses. Their input is not an add-on—it’s foundational. Because the people who work closest to the smallest patients often carry the biggest ideas for change.”