Nurses make up the largest segment of healthcare employees, providing up to 80% of primary healthcare.¹ They are the unsung heroes of a hospital system. As frontline caregivers, they influence nearly every aspect of hospital operations. Almost every product used in a hospital is handled by a nurse. Their role is critical to product adoption, as their hands-on use and patient interactions directly impact a product’s success. And yet, in some training programs, nurses are frequently treated as secondary stakeholders or bypassed entirely in the engagement strategy.
This is a missed opportunity.
When commercial teams understand the role of nurses, and how to connect with them meaningfully, they can transform how products are perceived, adopted, and used.
Nurses are central to clinical impact
Nurses don’t just deliver care. They’re at the patient’s bedside, performing tests, coordinating with physicians and other team members, monitoring treatment, and educating families—often all at once.²
Nurses are highly trained clinicians who²⁻⁴:
Identify and escalate changes in patient condition
Implement treatment plans
Ensure proper medication administration
Provide essential feedback to physicians and care teams
Understanding their world: Time, priorities, and specialization
What makes engaging nurses uniquely challenging is also what makes it essential:
They are extremely busy. With high patient ratios and administrative burden, time is valuable.⁵⁻⁷ Account managers need to be concise, relevant, and respectful.
They are focused on patient care.⁴ Messaging must tie clearly to how a product supports better outcomes or workflow.
They are clinically informed.⁸ Messaging shouldn’t be “fluffy”; nurses expect substance and clarity.
They span specialties. From critical care to oncology, neonatal to dialysis, nursing specialists have different patients, pressures, and protocols.⁹ Tailoring engagement based on specialty is crucial.
Training programs must account for these dynamics. Account managers need to know when and how to approach nurses, how to frame conversations around patient care and clinical outcomes, and how to support the nurse’s role, not just the hospital.
Fuel for thought
At OCTANE, we believe nurses are one of the most underleveraged yet most influential voices in hospital-based sales strategies. When account teams are trained to recognize their clinical influence and day-to-day realities, they approach engagement with greater empathy, relevance, and success.
Explore other topics in our hospital series
References
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Indeed Editorial Team. What does a nurse do? 10 duties of a nurse. Updated 2025. Accessed May 2025.
Noye S, Kumar K, Hutchinson A, J W. Nurses’ perspectives on delays in care escalation in an acute private hospital. Collegian. 2023;30(5).
Wolters Kluwer. Patient-centered care and the vital role of nurses. Updated 2024. Accessed May 2025.
Govasli L, BA S. Nurses' experiences of busyness in their daily work. Nursing Inquiry. 2020.
Bourgault AM. The nursing shortage and work expectations are in critical condition: is anyone listening? Crit Care Nurse. 2022;42(2).
Yen PY, Kellye M, Lopetegui M, et al. Nurses' time allocation and multitasking of nursing activities: A time motion study. AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2018.
McHugh MD, Lake ET. Understanding clinical expertise: Nurse education, experience, and the hospital context. Res Nurs Health. 2011;33(4).
AllNursingSchools.com. Which nursing speciality is right for you? Updated 2025. Accessed May 2025.
