UF Nursing Assistant Professor Tamara Macieira, PhD, RN, recently completed an outreach visit to two prestigious Brazilian universities. While there, she discussed the future of nursing, artificial intelligence, and health care innovation with students and health care professionals — focusing on strengthening collaborations with the institutions.
The visits brought together undergraduate and graduate students from nursing programs, applied health sciences, AI, and computer science at the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Macieira is a native of Brazil and an alumna of Minas Gerais.
At the University of São Paulo, Macieira met with different research groups and Associate Dean Ana Luiza Vilela Borges and Associate Professor Rodrigo Jensen of the School of Nursing.
During her visit, Macieira focused on research advancements in health care, particularly nursing.
“There is a strong research culture in Brazil, especially at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The students were very receptive to the ideas presented, particularly those related to AI and health informatics,” she said.
Macieira noted that Brazil is making significant strides in integrating AI into health care, with a strong push from the government to fund AI initiatives. New AI centers are being established at universities across Brazil to support the development and implementation of AI-driven health care solutions. One includes the first AI-technology integrated intensive care unit in Brazil, at the University of São Paulo Hospital’s Heart Institute (InCor HCFMUSP).
At the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Macieira was also struck by an entrepreneurial project developed by a Brazilian nurse and associate professor in Nursing, Luciana da Mata, who created an app (IUProst®) for male patients recovering from prostate surgery. The app guides follow-up care, including necessary exercises and recovery steps, and has garnered multiple awards for its effectiveness. Macieira said more and more nurses in Brazil are exploring the entrepreneurial possibilities of patient-centered technology.
These efforts are supported by Brazilian universities, which provide funding for health care related startups. Macieira felt the model could be replicated in the U.S.
Macieira discussed projects being pursued at UF, including an AI simulation teaching tool focused on improving intradisciplinary collaboration between health care students. That project is led by UF’s Michael Bumbach, PhD, APRN. She also presented HandsFreeNurse, a project she is working on with other College of Nursing colleagues that would use AI voice recognition to capture information during bedside interactions, allowing nurses to be more present with patients instead of typing into a computer.
Nurses often spend a significant amount of time on documentation and non-clinical tasks, and AI could automate much of this work.
“AI is not here to replace nurses; it’s here to assist them,” she said. “By reducing administrative tasks, AI can give nurses more time to care for patients, which is ultimately the goal.”
AI also has the potential to improve health care data. Macieira explained that electronic health records collected by nurses are a valuable resource for research into improving patient care and outcomes. However, information must be accurate and complete to be most useful. AI can help ensure its thoroughness and precision, making it invaluable for research.
Macieira hopes to continue to build international collaboration between UF and the Brazilian institutions.
“The work we’re doing in the U.S. can absolutely translate to the realities of health care in Brazil,” she said. “By working together, we can develop new technologies, systems, and solutions that will benefit both countries and, ultimately, improve patient care worldwide.”