The critical need for nurses to play an active role in implementing AI

It is well recognized that artificial intelligence (AI) will transform the American industrial landscape and the dynamics of labor. The implementation of AI in health care is no longer a futuristic concept, it is a current reality. Nurses and managers must participate in decisions to advance AI to the workplace. As the largest health labor, nurses are the main cohort responsible for implementing these technologies in patient care and daily workflows. However, their voices remain underrepresented in conversations and AI planning.

When you consider the obstacles to adoption, there are several worthy of mention, some large and some specific to nursing. The first is the lack of technological knowledge and skills. Nurses may not be well taken in the fundamental concepts of AI and the complexities of AI systems. This limits their ability to participate effectively in discussions and decisions concerning AI systems. The solution is triple: first, complete training programs should be introduced at the academic and clinical levels. Second, hospital systems and suppliers should include nurses at the start of product planning and offer real -time learning opportunities. Finally, nurses must personally look for continuing education possibilities to improve their AI knowledge base for continuous professional improvement.

Another barrier is resistance to change, which often stems from the fear of the unknown. Without appropriate training and support, nurses may feel overwhelmed or reluctant to adopt AI tools. To overcome this, health systems and commercial AI developers should offer continuous and specific professional development to nurses. The integration of AI champions or connections within units, nurses with specialized AI training can strengthen local expertise and trust.

Data security problems, although often considered as a technical or administrative challenge, are directly relevant to commitment to nursing. The nurses are on the front line of patient interaction and will be responsible for explaining AI systems and ensuring that patients feel safe. If nurses are not actively involved in conversations on AI safety standards and patient education, confidence in these systems can erode. Consequently, nurses leaders must defend transparent and understandable data practices and participate in interdisciplinary data governance committees.

Biases in AI and the importance of confidence in strengthening are often cited in AI general discussions, but their relevance for nursing is specific and usable. If AI systems are constructed or trained without the contribution of nurses, in particular those who serve various populations, critical blind spots may persist, which potentially worsens health disparities. The knowledge of nurses on the social determinants of health, patients’ behaviors and the realities of workflow is essential for creating fair and practical AI solutions. Their inclusion in the design, tests and evaluation of these tools should not be optional, is necessary.

Responsible use of AI is a barrier that incorporates several areas. I maintain that the most important, and the most finished first, is conviviality, verification of AI technology and specific platforms to clearly determine if it solves a problem or brings efficiency to a process. Companies can present convincing and attractive products, but when you take the brilliant coverage, they do not really solve a current problem. This does not mean that they do not do anything, they perform a task or a series of tasks, but if they are completely assessed, the results may not be of added value. Another area that must be assessed. This requires knowledge of the different forms of AI (generative, supervised learning, etc.), which must be evaluated in training data sets and how AI decisions are taken. Collaboration and commitment are another important element of responsible use. Stakeholders, including patients and communities affected, should be involved to ensure that AI technology aligns with values, needs and objectives.

A promising development at its main stages is a movement to include the specific content of AI in nursing education. Nursing schools are starting to integrate AI into the undergraduate lessons, and some selected universities offer concentrations of mastery in nursing in AI. These developments highlight a broader trend in the integration of AI education in programs to prepare for future nurses for the evolution of the health care landscape.

A new approach to supporting nurses is the addition of a technician in patient care technicians. The objective of the role is to help the care, support, monitoring and troubleshooting of patient care technology apparatus relieving nurses in non -clinical tasks. For decades, technological responsibilities have been added to nurses’ routines without additional support. The unloading of these distractions allows nurses to train at the top of their reach and to focus on the direct care of patients.

It is not enough to talk about AI, nurses must act. While many have discussed the importance of AI, others, often outside nursing, have built and deployed. Nurses can no longer afford to consider this as a problem of tomorrow. We have to move forward now.

The AI ​​is the promise of improving the provision of health care, improving the results of patients and the empowerment of clinicians to concentrate time on relationships with patients. For nursing care to shape its future in an AI -focused world, its leaders and practitioners must be present, informed and engaged at each stage of its development and its deployment. The authenticity, the ethical land setting up of the profession and the concentration of care centered on patients make nurses essential to the responsible and effective implementation of the AI ​​of health care.

Photo: Saengsuriya13, Getty Images

This message appears through the Medcity influencers program. Anyone can publish their point of view on business and innovation in health care on Medcity News through Medcity influencers. Click here to find out how.