Reimagining Oncology Nursing Through AI Innovations With Waqas Haque, Kathleen McGrow, Sangeeta Agarawal, and Marc Perkins-Carrillo

The Journey to AI Roles

The speakers shared their diverse journeys into the world of health technology and AI, emphasizing the valuable skills that nurses bring to these roles. Kathleen McGrow, Chief Nursing Innovation Officer at Microsoft, transitioned from trauma critical care nursing to information technology through education in nursing informatics. She noted the valuable skills involved, stating, “I think critical thinking and communication are the two things that are most beneficial when you’re moving from the bedside to the technology sphere. You’re going to use the same skillset in industry; it’s just in a nuanced, a different way.”

Sangeeta Agarawal, a Nurse Practitioner and founder of an AI symptom management company, emphasized the importance of caring and problem-solving. “For me, I would say the most important skill is not even skill. I think it’s the fact that we care. We care about our patients, and we care about the problem at hand, because we know it matters.”

Marc Perkins-Carrillo, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Moffitt Cancer Center, highlighted the need for nurses to be involved in the development of electronic health records (EHRs) and other technologies, underscoring the need to think outside the box to turn financial tools into clinical tools.

Key Leadership Lessons

The speakers also shared key leadership lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers. Ms. Agarawal emphasized the importance of identifying patterns, believing in solutions, and seeking help from others. “As you start to brainstorm and think of solutions to a particular problem, then you can start to believe that there is a solution, because you need to first believe there is a way to solve the problem before you can take it on.”

Dr. McGrow stressed the importance of empathy in leadership, particularly in times of change. “One of the greatest lessons around leadership I’ve learned is just to be empathetic. I always identify as a nurse when I’m talking to anyone, whether it’s in my own organization or outside.”

Mr. Perkins-Carrillo highlighted the significance of relationship building, especially when implementing new technologies. “The computers can only do so much. Having that relationship with the nurses, so that you can talk about why starting to use a certain technology is valuable, is really key to any kind of implementation that you ever do.”

Innovations Impacting Nursing

Looking ahead, the speakers discussed how AI is expected to impact nursing, specifically oncology nursing, in the next three to five years. Dr. McGrow predicted significant changes in practice and new models of care, emphasizing the need for education and re-skilling to help nurses embrace AI. “I think we’re going to see significant change in practice. We’re going to have new models of care that are going to be impacted by AI, and I think the way to combat fear, uncertainty, and doubt is through education.”

Mr. Perkins-Carrillo shared Moffitt Cancer Center’s strategic plan to educate nurses about AI and implement a large language model for safe interaction and data retrieval.

Ms. Agarawal emphasized the importance of nurses being involved in the development and implementation of AI solutions, ensuring that they meet their needs and align with nursing values. “If nursing is going to be using some solutions, then nurses need to be involved in it. We need to have nurses’ buy-in, in terms of understanding their needs, the limitations, and how it affects them in terms of additional burden or liability.”

Ethical Considerations

The speakers also addressed the ethical considerations that must guide the implementation of AI tools in healthcare. Ms. Agarawal highlighted the need to ensure that AI solutions are helpful, clinically sound, and do not create liability issues. “From a nursing perspective, the key thing is whether the solution is actually helping. Understanding what the nursing flow is and whether it’s actually helping the clinician or not is going to be important.” She also emphasized the importance of considering language barriers, affordability, and potential biases in AI tools.

Dr. McGrow shared Microsoft’s framework for responsible AI, which is based on core values: fairness, reliability, safety, privacy, security, transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness.

Mr. Perkins-Carrillo stressed the importance of using AI models trained on cancer patients in oncology settings to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the results. “Our patient population is unique, so we want to make sure we’re using something that is oncology-based and has been trained on oncology patients.”

Anticipating the Use of AI in Nursing

When asked about one innovation they would like to see every nurse be able to use within the next five years, both Dr. McGrow and Mr. Perkins-Carrillo emphasized the need for less clicking and more voice-activated technology, which would reduce the burden of documentation and free up more time to focus on the patient during every visit.

Key Takeaways

• Nurses possess valuable skills, such as critical thinking, communication, caring, and problem-solving, that are highly valuable for roles in health tech and AI
• Empathy, relationship building, and a focus on solving real-world problems are essential leadership qualities in the context of healthcare innovation
• AI has the potential to transform nursing practice, but education, re-skilling, and nurse involvement in development and implementation are crucial for successful adoption
• Ethical considerations, such as fairness, transparency, and accountability, must guide the implementation of AI tools to ensure equitable and high-quality patient care
• Voice-activated technology and AI-powered assistants have the potential to reduce the administrative burden on nurses and improve their efficiency

About the Speakers

Waqas Haque, MD, MPH, is a Hematology/Oncology Fellow at the University of Chicago. He recently completed his Internal Medicine Residency at New York University (NYU) in a Clinical Investigator Track. Dr. Haque has balanced his patient care work with a variety of research projects. During his fellowship training at the University of Chicago, he plans to further his work in innovative clinical trial design, value-based care delivery to cancer patients, and clinical investigation.

Kathleen McGrow, DNP, MS, RN, PMP, FHIMSS, FAAN, is the Chief Nursing Information Officer at Microsoft. In this role, she advises organizations on the integration of innovative technologies to enhance clinical performance, improve patient experience, and transform care models. She is an internationally recognized expert in the intersection of clinical care and technology.

Sangeeta Agarawal, RN, NP, OCN®, OHS, is an Oncology Nurse and the CEO and Founder of Helpsy, the world’s first AI nurse for holistic symptom management and navigation. She has extensive experience in software engineering, integrative medicine, research, and oncology nursing.

Marc Perkins-Carrillo, MSN, RN-BC, NE-BC, HACP, is the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Moffitt Cancer Center. Over his career in nursing, he has held roles in leadership, quality, regulatory accreditation, and informatics. He is passionate about prioritizing quality of care and the reduction of documentation burdens.