By Dr. Chinelo Nwaogbo, Founder & CEO, Nelo™

There’s something powerful about standing among nurse practitioners, professionals who carry both the weight and the heart of modern healthcare. Attending the AANP Conference in June was more than just an opportunity to showcase Nelo, it was a reminder of why we exist.

We surveyed 64 attendees and spoke with even more. The overwhelming consensus? Overfilled sharps containers are still a daily risk. But beyond the data, it was the stories, the exhausted looks, the “this happened just last week” moments, that hit hardest.

One nurse practitioner recounted an incident at a community clinic, where a patient accidentally brushed against an overfilled wall-mounted sharps box while adjusting their sleeve. The result? An urgent needlestick protocol and weeks of anxiety for the patient and staff.

The truth is, no one thinks it’ll happen until it does. Until a preventable oversight becomes a lifelong memory.

Nelo was built to change that. Our goal is not just to innovate, but to lead a shift in how healthcare thinks about safety. We’re pushing for a new standard, one where monitoring, alerts, and visibility are expected, not exceptional.

As I left the conference, I felt deeply encouraged. People are ready. Ready to rethink safety. Ready to do better.

We are too.