Tales of transitions: fusing nursing and digital innovations through critical reflections

Abstract

This critical review synthesises a decade of research exploring the intersections of nursing, transitions, and digital innovation, drawing on six peer-reviewed publications authored between 2014 and 2024. The portfolio interrogates the persistent tension between theory and practice in nursing, positioning the researcher as both clinician and academic to illuminate the complexities of professional identity and knowledge translation. The work is organised around three thematic threads.

First, the nursing strand examines the evolution of the profession from task-based care towards evidence-informed, person-centred practice, while addressing challenges posed by rapid technological change. It critiques the implications of digital health for preserving relational aspects of care. Second, the transitions strand investigates experiences of individuals and families navigating significant life and health changes. The studies included employ qualitative and participatory methodologies to surface lived experiences, highlighting systemic barriers and the need for resilience-building strategies.

Third, the innovation strand explores nurse-led interventions and co-designed resources that leverage technology and creativity to support transitional care. The innovations are critiqued through theoretical lenses including Salutogenesis, Resiliency Theory, and Diffusion of Innovation, emphasising strengths-based approaches and stakeholder engagement.

Collectively, the portfolio demonstrates the transformative potential of integrating digital solutions with person-centred principles, while underscoring the ethical imperative to maintain the human touch in technologically mediated care. It contributes to scholarship by advancing conceptualisations of transitions as multidimensional processes, proposing frameworks for capability development, and evidencing the role of co-production in shaping inclusive, context-sensitive innovations. Positioned at the nexus of clinical practice and academia, this work offers insights for future research, policy, and education aimed at sustaining compassionate, digitally enabled nursing care.