Developing a Framework for Ethical Governance of AI in Nursing: The Role of Nurses in Policy Development and Advocacy

Nursing is based on strong ethical ideas. The American Nurses Association (ANA) gives nurses a Code of Ethics. It tells them to value compassion, respect, patient support, and fairness. This Code changes over time to include new technology like AI. Haddad and Geiger (2023) say these ethics guide nurses’ actions in decisions, patient care, and managing treatment.

AI tools help nurses with routine tasks, clinical decisions, and data review. But ANA says AI should help nurses, not take over their important skills like judgment and care. Nurses are still responsible for their choices when AI helps them. They must check if AI results are correct and how they affect patients.

One worry is that AI might make nurse-patient contact less personal. Archibald and Barnard (2018) warn that AI can make things faster but should not reduce caring actions like touch and empathy, which build trust.

Nurses’ Responsibilities in Ethical AI Use

Nurses need to know how AI changes the way they care for patients. They must do more than just use AI; they should help check that AI fits nursing values and helps patients fairly. Nurses also explain AI to patients and families to reduce fears. This helps build trust and makes sure patients agree to how their data is used.

• Know what AI can and cannot do.
• Keep patient information private.
• Find and fix biases in AI systems.
• Support fairness to stop health inequalities.
• Join in making AI policies and rules.

Ethical problems are not only about patients but also include unfair bias in AI data. This bias can hurt minority groups. Nurses need to spot these problems and fight for fair AI systems for all.

The Role of Nurses in AI Policy Development and Advocacy

Making AI rules in healthcare needs many experts. Nurses must lead since they work closely with patients and health processes.

The ANA says nurses should help create and review AI rules. Nurses know patient care and ethics well, so they can push for clear, fair, and safe AI use.

Nurses can:

• Help write ethics rules that protect patients.
• Assist in making laws that stop unfair AI.
• Take part in studies about how AI affects care quality and fairness.
• Work with hospital leaders and tech experts to link nursing and AI knowledge.

Baig et al. (2020) say there is a big need for good AI rules. Nurses play an important role in balancing new tech with moral responsibility.

This helps make sure fast AI growth does not skip ethics or patient safety.

AI and Workflow Automation in Nursing Practice

AI is changing clinical decisions and how work is done in hospitals and clinics. Tasks like scheduling, registration, and phone answering are now often handled by AI. This helps reduce administrative work but needs to keep patient care personal.

For example, companies like Simbo AI use AI to answer calls and manage appointments, easing the load on staff.

Even with AI, tools must be fair and clear to all patients no matter their background or language.

In nursing tasks, AI helps with medicine delivery, notes, and decision support. But these tools are helpers. They help lower errors and give nurses more time for patients.

Nurses must watch that AI does not stop real patient care or reduce the chance to understand patient needs fully. They need to check AI for accuracy and fairness and report any problems.

AI Literacy and Ongoing Education for Nursing Professionals

Learning about AI and its ethics needs education and ongoing training. Hoelscher and Pugh (2025) introduce the N.U.R.S.E.S. framework. It guides nurses to:

• Understand AI basics.
• Use AI well.
• Spot possible problems.
• Keep learning new skills.
• Apply ethics thoughtfully.
• Help guide future AI use.

Nurses must be able to use AI confidently. They should understand risks like bias and privacy issues. Including AI teaching in nursing classes and practice helps close knowledge gaps and prepares nurses for AI advances.

Ongoing training helps nurses stay able to make good choices when AI is involved in care. It also helps them protect patients from mistakes or misuse of AI advice.

Patient Data, Privacy, and Ethical Informatics

Data privacy is a main ethical concern in healthcare AI. Lots of patient data come from health records, wearable devices, and social media. This data can improve care but also risks being misused or leaked.

Nurses help patients understand how their data is collected and used in AI. They explain things clearly to get informed consent. Nurses also protect patient privacy by watching security in informatics systems, like firewalls and encryption, and reporting weak spots.

The ANA calls for nurses to push for systems that keep data safe while letting AI work well. This is very important as technology changes faster than some laws.

Addressing Bias and Ensuring Justice in AI Systems

A big ethical issue is stopping bias in AI that can increase unfair differences in healthcare. This especially affects groups like racial minorities and people with low income.

AI learns from old data, which can have social biases and miss some groups. Nurses should check AI results carefully and spot if some patients are treated unfairly. Then they can help shape policies that require bias checks, inclusion, and fair AI access.

The ANA says justice in AI means fair treatment for all and clear rules to avoid discrimination. Nurses support practices that promote fairness when AI is made and used.

Collaboration Across Healthcare Leadership for Ethical AI Use

In healthcare, leaders like administrators, owners, and IT managers work with nurses to make ethical AI rules. Nurses add clinical knowledge to balance decisions with tech and management views.

Nurse informaticists, who know nursing and IT, check AI for ethics and safety. They help design systems that protect privacy and keep AI clear and fair. This helps match AI tools with clinical and moral needs.

All involved must work openly across teams to make sure AI fits workflows without hurting care or ethics.

Nurses have two duties with AI in healthcare. They use it carefully in care and take part in making policies about its use. This is very important in the United States where health systems need both efficiency and strong ethics. By sharing their knowledge and speaking up, nurses help AI tools support care, protect patients’ rights and dignity, and promote fair health outcomes for everyone.