Colleagues have paid tribute to “kind and brilliant” Professor Nick Hardiker, who was an influential academic in the field of nursing informatics.
Hardiker, a former chair of the Digital Health Networks Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) Advisory Panel, died at home on 10 December 2025.
He was a registered nurse with a background in general nursing, holding Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees in computer science from the University of Manchester.
Between 2011 and 2016 he oversaw the International Council of Nurses eHealth programme, comprising the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) Programme, the ICN Telenursing Network and ICN’s involvement in the Connecting Nurses initiative.
Paying tribute, Helen Balsdon, national CNIO, said: “Nick was an influential nurse researcher who was one of the few academics in the field of nursing informatics.
“Nick was chair of the past digital nursing research advisory group and was always keen to support the work of the digital nursing team at NHS England.
“His academic work included lots on nursing terminology (he led the work to align the ICNP with SNOMED-CT) and was the chair of the International Council of Medical Informatics (nursing Informatics).
“Nick was very influential with a passion for moving the profession forward, harnessing digital and data. He will be much missed.”
Hardiker went onto become a professor of nursing and health informatics at the University of Salford between 2012 and 2018, where he acted as a senior researcher.
Alison Brettle, professor of health information and evidence-based practice at the University of Salford, said: “Nick was promoted to chair in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford after a decade as a senior researcher within its health informatics enterprise unit.
“As professor of nursing and health informatics, he was associate dean (research and innovation) for the school.
“Nick was a kind and thoughtful academic with an excellent reputation in the international nursing informatics community. He put staff well-being and student support at the centre of his research leadership.”
Between 2018 and 2022, Hardiker was associate dean in the school of human and health sciences at University of Huddersfield, before serving as dean between 2022 and 2023 and becoming an affiliate emeritus professor in November 2023.
He also acted as editor-in-chief for the journal Informatics for Health & Social Care between 2010 and 2020.
Frances Beadle, CNIO at Digital Health and Care Wales, said: “Nick was a kind and gentle human being who always strived to help people become their best selves, both personally and professionally.
“The kindness and support he showed me as chair of BCS Nursing, driving forward the nursing informatics agenda in the UK and internationally, is something I will never forget.
“A true gentleman and ambassador for nursing informatics globally, his recent appointment as IMIA-NI chair is a testament to his dedication and impact. His passing is a great loss to our community.”
Dawn Dowling, professor in clinical decision making in the division of nursing, midwifery and social work at the University of Manchester, told Digital Health News: “I am so very sad to hear about the passing of Professor Nick Hardiker.
“We worked together over a number of years, and he was a valued friend, mentor and colleague.
“He was a leading researcher internationally in the field of nursing classification, respected and admired by his colleagues throughout the world.
“He provided leadership in our field, always with intellectual thought, consideration and kindness. He will be greatly missed.”
Susan Matney, adjunct faculty at the University of Minnasota School of Nursing, posted on LinkedIn: “I am heartbroken to share that our kind, brilliant friend and colleague Nick Hardiker has passed away.
“He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, and was able to meet his first grandbaby — a profound gift at the end of a remarkable life.
“Nick’s impact on informatics — especially at the intersection of nursing, clinical care, and information science — was profound and enduring.”
Matney added that his work had helped to standardise clinical information; advance the visibility and importance of nursing informatics; and build and sustain international collaboration through his leadership in strategic working groups and scholarly platforms.
“Nick’s legacy lives not only in his publications, awards, and leadership roles, but in the countless professionals, students, and systems made better through his generosity, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to improving health through better information,” she wrote.
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