Speaker: Emily Helbick
Emily Helbick: You don't need a data science degree to ask good questions about the tools that are touching your patients.
Emily Helbick: Hi, my name is Emily Helbick. My title is Vice President of Network Operations at Palm Beach Accountable Care Organization, and I'm also adjunct faculty at the Keegan School of Nursing at Jacksonville University.
What will you be speaking about at the 2026 GNSA Conference?
Emily Helbick: I'll be co-leading the learning lab on innovation and AI in nursing. My half focus is on AI in practice, how nurses are actually using it today, where it's headed in a simple framework for one of the hardest skills, knowing when to trust AI and when to question it. You'll leave with something practical that you can use, whether you're headed into leadership or remaining at the bedside.
What does the conference theme mean to you?
Emily Helbick: To me, legacy of care is about what we hand to the next generation of nurses. With AI that legacy won't be which tools we use, it'll be whether the nurses who came after us inherit technology that was designed with nursing or done to it. A sustainable future means nurses are in the room shaping these tools, not just adopting them.
What advice do you have for graduate nursing students as they advance as leaders in the next phase of their nursing career?
Emily Helbick: My advice for graduate nursing students is don't wait to feel like you're an expert to get involved. You don't need a data science degree to ask good questions about the tools that are touching your patients. You do need your clinical judgment and the confidence to use your voice. Get into the rooms where these decisions are made now while you're still learning. That's where your influence starts.
