This blog reflects on lessons from Danish architecture, showing how constraints and real-world challenges can inspire innovative, functional design. Drawing parallels to healthcare, it emphasizes that the most meaningful improvements often come from listening to users' needs and solving practical problems, reminding nurses that thoughtful, human-centered design can be a powerful instrument of healing.

This blog by Dr. Seneca Perri Moore reflects on the 2026 PDC Student Design Challenge and the powerful role nursing students played in an interdisciplinary environment alongside architecture, engineering, and construction peers.

The experience showcased how nurses bring essential strengths—including systems thinking, leadership, adaptability, and a deep understanding of human-centered care—to the design of healthcare spaces. A compelling reminder that nursing is not only vital at the bedside, but also in shaping the future of healthcare environments.

This blog features NIHD Board member Brooke Karlsen’s panel discussion at PDC Summit held in Houston in March 2026.

The intent of the session was to bring experts from across healthcare planning, design, engineering, and clinical communities to explore how resilient environments are created and sustained.

Through real-world examples and forward-looking strategies, the panelists were charged with providing insight into how healthcare spaces can remain safe, functional and supportive during times of crisis.

The blog post emphasizes the importance of intentional, curiosity-driven travel during a busy summer conference season, encouraging NIHD members to use professional gatherings as opportunities for meaningful connection, learning, and leadership in healthcare design.

It also offers practical travel and networking advice—such as packing strategically, allowing time for reflection, following up with new contacts, and observing how people interact with spaces—to inspire stronger collaboration and more human-centered design thinking.

This blog highlights the growing importance of advocacy in nursing, emphasizing how nurses translate real-world care experiences into policies and systems that improve healthcare delivery. It also underscores the expanding leadership role of nurses in innovation, technology, care design, and community impact, while encouraging nurses to actively shape the future of the profession through advocacy, collaboration, and lifelong learning.

The blog highlights the transformative impact of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, positioning it as a pivotal moment to redesign how care is delivered across rural America.

Rural healthcare design requires intentional, human-centered solutions that address scarcity, distance, and community needs while elevating clinical voices.

This investment is a rare opportunity to reshape not just facilities, but entire care systems and outcomes for underserved populations.

This blog profiles Sam Snell’s journey from a “wide-eyed and clueless” nurse to a leader in healthcare design and operations, highlighting how emergency departments reveal whether workflows and spaces truly function under pressure.

The blog highlights Angie Cox’s journey from social work to becoming a leader in clinical technology, driven by her belief that many healthcare challenges stem from system design rather than individual failure.

With multidisciplinary expertise, she works at the intersection of care delivery, technology, and strategy to create solutions that improve both patient and clinician experiences. Her work focuses on designing smarter systems that reduce burnout and make healthcare more effective and human-centered.

At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, smart sensor technology is transforming how healthcare spaces are used by replacing guesswork with real-time data. Thousands of sensors help staff quickly find and manage rooms, improving efficiency and the experience for patients and families while reducing unnecessary costs.

The approach also prioritizes transparency and privacy, ensuring data is anonymous and trusted. With plans to expand into air quality and energy monitoring, this innovation is shaping the future of smarter, healthier healthcare environments.