Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside

September 2025

Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! This one is jam packed with great content, Enjoy!

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The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight

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Meet Julia Harrington RN — Julia is a nurse, tech startup professional, and master’s student whose thesis focuses on large language models (LLMs)—the technology behind tools like ChatGPT. She never expected to work in tech, but a nontraditional path led her from nutrition to nursing to nursing informatics. Now, she’s helping shape how AI is integrated into nursing practice, education, and research.
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“ AI is a tool—it’s not a threat. It can really extend your capacity, not replace your expertise. — Julia Harrington, RN

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I sat down with Julia to talk all things AI and what it actually means for nurses. In this video, she breaks down how nurses can start using AI right now — no tech background required.

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Key Takeaways

You are already "tech-savvy" enough.

You don’t need to be in informatics or have a tech background to start using AI. Julia breaks it down in non-technical terms and shows how any nurse can start experimenting today.

Nurses are using AI in creative, practical ways.

From simplifying patient education and brainstorming care plans to studying for boards and prepping for interviews, AI tools can become a nurse’s secret weapon outside the EHR.

The quality of your input matters.

Julia shares examples of prompt structures nurses can use right now — and how to tweak your wording to get better, more relevant results.

Ethical and safety awareness is non-negotiable.

AI tools can “hallucinate,” meaning they make things up confidently. They’re also not HIPAA-compliant, so nurses should never input identifying info. Julia highlights the do’s and don’ts to help nurses stay safe and smart.

This is a conversation that nurses need to be a part of.

The tech world isn’t waiting for us — but we have a chance to shape how AI is used in healthcare. Julia encourages nurses to engage early so we’re not just handed tools, but invited to the table when they’re being built.

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Artificial Intelligence

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What are Large Language Models and AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a tool that helps computers mimic human thinking — things like understanding language, recognizing patterns, and solving problems.

One specific type of AI is a large language model (LLM). It’s trained on huge amounts of text (like books, articles, and websites) and learns how to predict and generate words based on what you type in. It doesn’t “think” or “know” like a person, but it can respond in a way that feels very human.
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LLMs are the kind of AI behind tools like ChatGPT. You give it a prompt, and it gives you a response — which can be surprisingly helpful for brainstorming, drafting, summarizing, or answering questions.

These tools don’t replace a nurse’s judgment, but they can support your work when used thoughtfully.

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Where Have You Already Seen AI in Nursing?

AI isn’t some far-off future — it’s already part of your day-to-day practice. You’ve probably used it without even realizing it.

Ever gotten a sepsis alert on a patient? That alert didn’t come from a hunch, it was generated by AI. These systems are trained to recognize patterns in vital signs, labs, and charting that might indicate early signs of sepsis and other medical problems. It’s a great example of how AI can support your care.

But here’s the key: you’re still the nurse. That alert is just a tool and your critical thinking and clinical judgment are what turn it into action. AI can help flag concerns, but it shouldn’t replace your decision-making.

When used well, it’s a partnership, not a replacement. Blindly following recommendations can lead to poor patient outcomes and chip away one of the things that make nurses irreplaceable — clinical thinking.

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What Are Some Ways To Use AI Today?

Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, are already helping nurses save time, communicate more clearly, and think through problems.

Julia shared several ways nurses can experiment with AI in their everyday lives and work:

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• Patient education: Craft simpler explanations for complex topics based on the patient’s age, reading level, or preferred language.
• Job search prep: Use AI to brainstorm your transferable skills, draft a cover letter, or practice interview questions.
• Reflection and writing: AI can help you structure thoughts for a personal statement, CEU, or even a post like this one.
• Time-saving tasks: Summarize policies, pull key points from articles, or draft emails faster. It can be helpful in creating grocery lists from recipes, making a customized work out schedule, or even coming up with a fairy tale for your kid's bedtime story. The uses are endless!
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Here are a few specific prompts Julia recommends nurses trying:

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​Flipped Interaction Pattern

This approach is great when you’re learning about a new disease process and aren’t sure what questions to ask. It helps guide your thinking from the ground up.
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Persona Patterns

You can also tell the model your experience level — novice, experienced, etc. — so the response is better tailored to where you are in your learning.

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Question Refinement Pattern

This is helpful when your current prompts aren’t getting you the depth or clarity you need.
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Fact Checklist Pattern

This helps you double-check the information provided. Remember — AI is a tool, but it’s still your responsibility to confirm the accuracy of anything you plan to use.

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How Can I Use AI For My Job Search?

AI tools like ChatGPT can make your job hunt faster, more confident, and more strategic. Here’s how:
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🧠 Mock Interview Practice

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💬 Cover Letter Writing

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🧰 Skill Translation

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Using AI to help with your resume can also be very helpful! I could write an entire newsletter on this topic. If you would be interested in getting more information on using AI to improve your resume, feel free to reply to this email.

Your laughter injection. ​

What did the nurse say when the doctor decided to stay home? ​ Suture yourself!

Thanks for reading!

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Until next time,

Ellie & The Nontraditional Nurse Team

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