Imagine calling your doctor’s office and being greeted by Ana. Ana is a friendly and knowledgeable assistant who answers your questions, helps you schedule appointments, and even checks in on your well-being. Ana is always available, day or night, and speaks multiple languages. Sounds like the perfect nurse, right?
Except Ana isn’t human but an AI program developed by Hippocratic AI. Hippocratic AI is part of a wave of technology aiming to automate healthcare tasks normally handled by nurses.
Hospitals across the U.S. are increasingly adopting AI assistants for improved efficiency, reduced workloads, and better patient care. However, many nurses see a darker side: one that could undermine their expertise, degrade patient care, and ultimately push them out of their jobs.
Hospitals See AI as a Solution to Staffing Shortages
More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest staffing drop in 40 years. Furthermore, the U.S. government projects that over 190,000 new nursing positions will need to be filled annually through 2032.
Hospital administrators argue that AI can fill critical gaps, not by replacing nurses but by helping them work smarter. AI tools now:
- Monitor vital signs
- Flag potential emergencies before they become critical
- Provide step-by-step action plans for care teams
- Automate repetitive administrative tasks like data entry and appointment scheduling
Dr. Mehmet Oz, nominated to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, believes AI will “liberate doctors and nurses from paperwork.” Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming health secretary, sparked controversy by suggesting AI nurses could be “as good as any doctor” in rural areas.
Also read: Harnessing AI in Medical Records for Enhanced Patient Care
Nursing Unions Sound the Alarm
Many nurses don’t share this enthusiasm. National Nurses United, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has organized over 20 protests. These protests against AI healthcare tools argue that technology is being used to de-skill, replace, and sideline human caregivers.
“Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,” said Michelle Mahon, a representative of the union.
One major concern is decision-making authority. AI can suggest treatments, flag issues, and even recommend medical interventions. However, when these systems get it wrong, who is responsible? Nurses worry they could be forced to follow faulty AI recommendations or face consequences for pushing back.
False Alarms
Nurses also report that AI monitoring tools flood them with unnecessary alerts. Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center, says these systems often flag minor bodily functions, like a patient having a bowel movement, as medical emergencies.
“You’re trying to focus on your work. But you’re getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something,” Beebe said. “It’s hard to tell when it’s accurate and when it’s not because there are so many false alarms.”
AI Can’t Replace Human Intuition
Even the most advanced AI struggles with nuances that human nurses pick up on.
- Facial expressions can reveal pain, discomfort, or distress.
- Body language signals when a patient needs urgent attention.
- Odors can indicate infections or other medical issues.
Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing, warns against fully embracing AI without caution.
“It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely,” Collins said. “We should embrace what it can do to augment our care. But we should also be careful it doesn’t replace the human element.”
Hospitals Experiment with AI Assistants
Some hospitals are finding practical ways to integrate AI without replacing human nurses. At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, for example, staff make hundreds of calls each week to prepare patients for surgery.
Many of these patients only answer their phones during evening hours. Hiring nurses to make these calls overtime would be expensive. Instead, the hospital now uses an AI assistant from Qventus to contact patients and health providers, collect and summarize medical records, and send reminders and follow-ups.
Each call starts with the AI identifying itself as a virtual assistant. “Sometimes patients are talking to a human, and sometimes they’re not,” said Dr. Joseph Sanford, head of health IT at the hospital.
