As AI use increases in clinics, nursing professionals are calling for clearer AI policies

Written by Destiny Wallis. Edited by Asim BN.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing healthcare, and a recent study from Arkansas State University shows that most nurses agree with the changes, but the same survey shows that many nurses are concerned that neither they nor their patients have adequate protections. Therefore, enthusiasm for AI is dampened by fear. This suggests that healthcare organizations need to act quickly to change policies and education programs at the forefront of patient care.

Arkansas State University completed a study titled “Nursing and AI Policy Gap: How Education Can Bridge Safety and Innovation.” The study consisted of a survey of 135 registered nurses about how artificial intelligence has changed their daily work. The results of the study show that the clinical environments in which nurses work are evolving with increased use of technology, but at the same time, there are equally significant gaps in guidelines, trust, and accountability.

AI is being rapidly introduced into nursing without proper support in place

Most nurses in the study (80%) said they use AI tools in some aspect of patient care, with more than 25% of nurses saying they use AI tools daily. The types of clinical applications supported by AI tools include:

Graphing: 61% said they use AI-assisted charts. This is currently the largest application of AI in nursing.
Predictive alert: 38% said they use predictive models to proactively warn patients of potential deterioration.
diagnosis: 36% said they use AI to help diagnose patient conditions.
surveillance: 30% said they use AI to monitor patients remotely.
Bots for triage and intake: 26% said they use AI-based bots for intake and triage.

Although 50% of respondents said they believe their employer has a clearly defined policy regarding the use of AI, and more than 60% of respondents said they believe there are legal protections if an AI system contributes to patient harm, the lack of clear policies and legal protections represents a significant risk to patient safety and could result in legal liability.

Legal and ethical uncertainties limit the use of AI

The rapid adoption of AI in healthcare is far outpacing the development of regulatory frameworks that support its safe and effective use. Although many nurses believe that AI has the potential to improve efficiency and decision-making in patient care, they have significant concerns about the ethical and legal implications of AI.

The main concerns regarding AI are::

harm to the patient: 63%
data breach: 51%
Nurses are legally protected if an AI system harms a patient: 49%
Reliance on automation: 48%

More than a third of respondents said they have avoided using certain features of AI systems due to legal or patient safety concerns.

The lack of a regulatory framework for AI is evidenced by the fact that less than 30% of respondents believe that current laws adequately protect patients from AI-related risks, and 45% of respondents disagree. These concerns are not theoretical. As algorithmic bias, data security breaches, and accountability issues remain unresolved, nurses are increasingly being asked to use systems that can pose unintended risks to themselves and their patients.

Education needs to close the gap for responsible AI use

There are insufficient educational resources to teach nurses about AI systems. Only about half of responding nurses reported receiving formal training from their employer on the use of AI. A significant number of nurses reported learning about AI through experience (approximately 20%), peer learning (approximately 20%), vendor training (approximately 6%), and no training (approximately 3%).

These varying levels of training have led to anxiety among nurses about using AI systems. Only about 31% of nurses feel “very comfortable” with AI systems, with the remaining nurses reporting that they are still adjusting to AI systems. So, while our employees understand the technology, they lack the knowledge needed to safely and effectively utilize AI systems in high-risk situations.

Educating nurses for responsible AI use

Survey respondents strongly supported a variety of approaches to support the use of AI in patient care, including the development of clearly defined policies, laws, and regulations. Therefore, this represents a clarion call for change and a great opportunity for nurse educators to take a leadership role in providing the needed educational content.

To properly utilize AI in the delivery of patient care, nurses must be educated in digital literacy (to effectively evaluate information) and ethics (the potential ethical implications of using AI systems). Additionally, nurse educators can also provide examples of how AI can actually assist (and complement) nurses’ decision-making processes, rather than replacing them.

Important strategies for nurse educators include::

Understand AI systems: Students need to learn about evaluating the accuracy of AI systems, the consistency of AI systems, and the potential for AI systems to fail. Additionally, we need to be aware of the potential for bias in AI systems.
AI ethics: Students need to learn about AI ethics (privacy, consent, transparency of AI algorithms, etc.).
Responsible use of AI: Instructors can provide students with examples of how to use AI systems responsibly. Faculty can share with students their experiences, both successes and failures, in implementing AI into clinical practice.

Interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and academic institutions

Healthcare and academic institutions should establish guidelines and standards for this type of collaboration and education. Because the algorithms used in AI inference contain social and racial bias, these standards must be established through consultation with a focus on transparency, accountability, and fairness.

A warning to healthcare organizations and policy makers

Healthcare organizations clearly have an interest in driving innovation in their field. However, the study found that they lacked the support they needed to take the next step in their development. As the nursing profession embraces the idea of AI, there is a need for frameworks of understanding, legal guidelines, and limitations for incorporating AI into nursing practice.

If these concerns are not addressed, and organizations fail to provide adequate support as they incorporate AI technology into clinician workloads, this could have far-reaching implications that impact not only patient safety but also the trust of clinicians working within the organization. Advances in technology require advances in education and policy areas. Nurses need AI, but they can’t take advantage of it without support.

About the author: Destinie Wallis has worked in the technology industry for nearly a decade, focusing on how emerging technologies like AI are transforming industries, workflows, and everyday decision-making.