Legacy and Innovation:
The Journey of Nursing Informatics

In 2024, we celebrated a significant achievement - the 26th year of the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Forum, which began in 1998. This year is dedicated to honoring our rich history and the valuable contributions of the nursing informatics community within HIMSS. While we pay tribute to our past, we're also setting our sights ambitiously on the next 26 years, drawing inspiration from our legacy to shape the future.

The Nursing Informatics Forum, themed "Legacy and Innovation: The Journey of Nursing Informatics," delves into the ever-evolving world of nursing informatics amidst rapid technological advancements and profound industry changes. Our discussions are driven by a primary concern: the global nursing shortage and the related issue of burnout. We place a strong emphasis on creative and empowering solutions to address these challenges.

At the heart of our dialogue lies the pivotal role of the Informatics Nurse Leader and the transformative potential of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a profession, we acknowledge AI's promise, while remaining vigilant about its associated risks and the need for meticulous development and implementation.

In the realm of nursing informatics, it is vital for us to lead in understanding and leveraging AI and machine learning. With AI bringing potent tools to areas such as case management and surveillance, the forum's primary mission is to guide professionals to understand and integrate AI into their daily practices. This emphasis underscores the critical role of nursing informaticists in bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and their real-world application.

Learning Objectives

• Discover the achievements and milestones in nursing informatics over the past decades 
• Explore innovative strategies and solutions to tackle nursing shortages and alleviate burnout among nurses 
• Describe the transformation of the CNIO role from primarily focusing on EHR implementation to encompassing operational support and strategic vision  
• Define the crucial role of the informatics nurse leader in driving the integration of AI in healthcare 
• Investigate real-world applications of AI and machine learning in nursing practice, especially in areas like case management and surveillance, while emphasizing the importance of responsible development and implementation