At THMA’s recent Chief Nursing Executive forum session held on November 20, 2025, senior nursing leaders shared how they are implementing ambient listening technologies in real-world care settings. The discussion focused on early pilots, scale strategies, and measurable impacts on nursing workflow and patient experience.
In a candid, highly practical discussion, nursing leaders shared recent examples of how ambient listening is changing daytoday work on inpatient units—from narrating care at the bedside to walking out of rooms with documentation already captured. Conversations spanned early skepticism, unexpected patient reactions, and the moment teams realized adoption was accelerating faster than anticipated. There was palpable energy around the idea that this technology isn’t just easing burden—it’s reshaping how nurses connect with patients.
Why it matters: As health systems look to relieve documentation burden and strengthen nurse–patient communication, ambient listening is emerging as a near-term practice transformation—not a long-horizon experiment. Insights from peer systems show that when implemented thoughtfully, adoption and impact can exceed expectations.
Key takeaways
Nurses drive adoption when they are builders, not recipients. Systems that co-developed ambient tools with nurses saw adoption rates far exceed expectations—reaching 80–100% across multiple units.
Nurse managers are the critical change agents. Early engagement of managers enabled peer-to-peer momentum through huddles, Q&A sessions, and hands-on trial, outperforming top-down mandates.
Target documentation latency for the fastest ROI. Med-surg units with the highest charting lag realized the clearest gains, including 10–15 minutes less incidental overtime and more timely documentation to support patient safety.
Patient experience improves—even from a high baseline. Organizations reported sustained improvements in nurse communication scores, with many units exceeding the 90th percentile.
360 Takeaway: Ambient listening is accelerating a broader shift toward “care out loud,” positioning the EHR as an active participant in care delivery. Health systems that treat this as nursing practice transformation—not just technology deployment—are seeing faster adoption, stronger satisfaction, and measurable efficiency gains.