Nurses at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal are set to benefit from a groundbreaking artificial intelligence project that aims to enhance patient care by reducing administrative burdens.
The new initiative, known as ENACT (Empowering Nurses with AI for Care Transformation), was unveiled at the ALL IN 2025 conference held at Palais des congrès in Montreal. This innovative project, a collaboration with Montreal-based tech company Airudi, seeks to streamline routine documentation and administrative tasks, allowing nurses to focus more on direct patient care.
Dr. Lucie Opatrny, President and Executive Director of MUHC, emphasized the importance of maximizing time spent at the bedside with patients. The project aims to debut its first practical application by January 2026, with full implementation slated for December of the same year.
One key feature of ENACT is the introduction of mobile workstations on wheels (WAUS), providing nurses with a portable tool to aid in task management and delegation, ultimately optimizing their workflow and prioritization.
Alain Biron, Director of Nursing at MUHC, highlighted the objective of utilizing AI to give back valuable time to nurses. While automation will play a significant role in simplifying tasks like documentation and shift hand-offs, the ultimate responsibility for patient care and safety will remain in the hands of human professionals.
Ensuring the project meets the genuine needs of nurses, proper data extraction remains a challenge due to the fragmented nature of medical records at MUHC. The co-design process, involving nurses in the decision-making and feedback loop, aims to create tailored solutions that enhance trust and usability.
ENACT’s potential impact goes beyond time-saving measures; it has the potential to enhance patient safety, quality of care, and the overall patient-nurse relationship. By reclaiming an hour per week per nurse for direct patient interactions, the project could lead to more personalized and attentive care throughout the hospital.
