Amplify Nursing

In this episode, we explore what it truly means to lead in nursing through a candid conversation with Dawn Bent, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, the Program Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Drawing on her journey into nursing, shaped by family influence and a willingness to say yes to new opportunities, she reflects on leadership as a practice rooted in humility, observation, and collaboration rather than authority or title. She shares how her experiences in clinical care, education, national service, and even sports have shaped her approach to developing confident, team-oriented leaders, while also discussing the importance of representation, mentorship, and creating inclusive spaces within the CRNA profession. Ultimately, this conversation highlights how effective leadership is less about being in charge and more about lifting others, fostering growth, and empowering the next generation of nurse anesthetists to lead with confidence and purpose.

On this episode of this season of Amplify Nursing, we highlight a collaborative innovation program between Penn Nursing, the University of Stirling and NHS Forth Valley, supported by a Fullbright program grant.   this conversation is led by our very own Dr. Marion Leary, Director of Innovation,  at Penn Nursing, as she speaks with Prof Ashley Shepherd, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport at the University of Stirling; Wendy Nimmo, Interim Head of Efficiency, Improvement & Innovation at NHS Forth Valley; and Dr. David Watson, Corporate & Acute Director of Nursing at NHS Forth Valley.  

Together, the four discuss how this partnership introduced human-centered design methodology to nursing education and practice, fostering innovation across academia and healthcare. The program adapted elements from the U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, training NHS nurse leaders to tackle real-world challenges. Highlights include building one of Scotland’s few dedicated NHS innovation teams to drive cultural change and technology adoption post-COVID, using design thinking to address ICU staffing and skill mix issues through empathy mapping and co-designed solutions, and plans to embed design thinking into undergraduate nursing curricula while expanding its use in solving organizational challenges. The conversation underscores the importance of end-user engagement, listening to staff, and collaborative innovation to transform healthcare delivery and highlights how international collaborations increase innovation’s spread in nursing and healthcare.

On this episode of the Amplify Nursing Podcast we speak with Dr. Stephanie Hoelscher. Dr. Hoelscher is Professor of Graduate Informatics and MSN Informatics Program Director at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. With nearly 30 years of experience in oncology, trauma, and informatics, she now focuses on advancing digital health and AI literacy for nurses. In our conversation, Dr. Hoelscher explains her creation of the N.U.R.S.E.S.™ AI Literacy Framework to help nurses integrate AI safely and effectively. She emphasizes foundational knowledge, ethical considerations, and avoiding over-reliance on technology, while advocating for nurse leadership in shaping AI-driven healthcare. Her work underscores that AI is a powerful tool, but human judgment and compassion remain irreplaceable.

On this episode of the AmplifyNursing Podcast, we talk with Dr. George Demiris, the Mary Alice Bennett University Professor in the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine, and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at Penn Nursing. Dr. Demiris
discusses his work using technology and AI to support healthy aging. As
director of the PennAITech Collaboratory for Healthy Aging, he highlights projects like Sense for Safety, which uses AI to predict and prevent falls among older adults. He emphasizes ethical design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the importance of involving older adults and caregivers in developing real-world solutions. Dr. Demiris also shares how programs like PennAITech’s Innovation Fellows Program and the Summer Innovation Institute are preparing future leaders in AI and healthcare innovation.

On this episode of the Amplify Nursing Podcast, we talk with Rachael Acker, computer scientist, design strategist, and founder of Healthero. Rachael shares how her background in technology and user
experience led her to healthcare innovation alongside nurses.

She highlights the use of systems and futures thinking to design solutions with long-term impact and explains prompt engineering as the art of asking purposeful, context-rich questions to generative AI. Rachael discusses the difference between deterministic and non-deterministic AI and encourages listeners to use AI thoughtfully, to verify information, foster curiosity, and drive creativity in healthcare design.