AI Nurses Are Changing Hospital Care, but Human Nurses Push Back
Hospitals across the United States are increasingly using artificial intelligence to assist with patient care, but nurses are raising concerns about its impact on their profession and patient safety.
AI programs like Ana, developed by Hippocratic AI, are designed to handle tasks such as answering patient questions and preparing them for appointments. Unlike human nurses, AI assistants are available 24/7 and can communicate in multiple languages.
Hospitals argue that AI helps nurses work more efficiently and alleviates burnout. However, nursing unions claim that AI is replacing human expertise and lowering the quality of care.
Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United said hospitals are using AI to "automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers." The union has organised more than 20 demonstrations, demanding a say in AI implementation and protection from disciplinary action if nurses override AI recommendations.
Concerns grew in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming health secretary, suggested AI nurses could provide care in rural areas. Dr. Mehmet Oz, nominated to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, later stated that AI could "liberate doctors and nurses from all the paperwork."
AI in Hospitals Raises Safety Concerns
Hospitals have long used technology to improve care, but AI is now being integrated with electronic medical records to predict medical issues and guide nurses' decisions.
Adam Hart, an emergency room nurse at Dignity Health in Nevada, recalled an incident where AI flagged a patient for sepsis, prompting a protocol requiring immediate IV fluids. However, Hart realised the patient was on dialysis, meaning excessive fluids could be harmful. Despite his concerns, he was initially told to follow the AI’s recommendation until a physician intervened.
"You need to keep your thinking cap on," Hart said. "Turning over our thought processes to these devices is reckless and dangerous."
Nurses also report that AI generates frequent false alarms, sometimes flagging normal bodily functions as emergencies. Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center, said the constant alerts make it difficult to determine which warnings are accurate.
AI’s Role in Addressing Nurse Shortages
The U.S. nursing workforce saw its largest decline in 40 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100,000 nurses leaving their jobs. The government estimates that over 190,000 new nursing positions will open annually through 2032.
Hospitals see AI as a tool to support nurses rather than replace them. At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AI assistants from Qventus are used to contact patients, send medical records and summarise information for human staff.
Dr. Joseph Sanford, who oversees the hospital’s health IT, said AI helps manage patient calls efficiently. "We always want to be fully transparent with our patients that sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes they’re not," he said.
The Future of AI in Health Care
Some AI developers envision a larger role for their technology. Israeli startup Xoltar is working with the Mayo Clinic on an AI assistant that teaches cognitive techniques for managing chronic pain. The company is also developing an avatar to help smokers quit, using facial expressions and body language to personalise interactions.
Experts caution that AI may be useful for relatively healthy patients but question its effectiveness for those with severe conditions. Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing said, "It’s the very sick who are taking up the bulk of health care in the U.S. and whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider."
AI nurses like Ana are being used to assist with patient care, but nurses argue they degrade care quality.
Nursing unions have organised protests, demanding input on AI use and protection from disciplinary action.
AI-generated alerts can be inaccurate, leading to concerns about patient safety.
Source: AP NEWS