Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an important tool in healthcare across the United States. Nurses, who are the primary caregivers for patients, are using AI systems more often. These systems help with clinical decisions, monitoring patients, documentation, and communication. Medical practice administrators, practice owners, and IT managers need to know how to add AI to nursing work safely and effectively. This article explains the N.U.R.S.E.S. framework—a six-step plan to help nurses use AI in clinical work in a responsible and skilled way. Understanding this framework helps healthcare leaders put AI systems in place that support nurses and improve patient care without breaking ethical rules.
The N.U.R.S.E.S. framework means:
This plan was explained by nursing experts Stephanie H. Hoelscher and Ashley Pugh in the Nursing Outlook journal (Volume 73, Issue 4, 2025). It helps nurses get ready for changes AI brings. It also makes sure AI is used in a way that keeps patient care safe, effective, and kind.
Before using AI in hospitals or clinics, nurses need to learn the basics about what AI is and how it works. AI in healthcare means computer systems that do jobs that usually need human thinking. These jobs include understanding data, answering patient questions, or helping with diagnosis.
Healthcare administrators and IT leaders in the U.S. must make sure nurses get training on AI basics. Training should explain how AI gathers and uses patient data, how decision-support systems work, and common AI tools like automated answering services, prediction models, and remote monitoring devices.
Knowing how AI works helps nurses use it with confidence. This lowers mistakes and avoids resistance. It also helps nurses talk clearly with IT teams and companies that provide AI tools.
AI is not the same for every situation. Medical offices should think carefully about where AI can make nursing work better and help patients, without replacing human choices. Some examples include phone automation at the front desk, AI answering services, and real-time decision aids for clinical care.
Medical administrators should work together with nursing leaders and IT managers to find tasks that are repetitive or take a lot of time and could be done by AI. For example, AI answering agents can handle appointment scheduling and common questions. This lets nurses spend more time with patients. AI can also help nurses keep track of vital signs or manage chronic illnesses from a distance, making work smoother.
Using AI in this way needs constant checking to see if the tools work well, are easy to use, and help both staff and patients.
Even though AI has many benefits, it also has problems that could lower healthcare quality and safety if not managed well. One big issue is biased data. If AI systems learn from incomplete or narrow datasets, they may give unfair results. This can make health differences worse for some groups.
Nurses and leaders should know about these limits. Nurses must notice when AI advice looks biased or wrong. They should regularly check AI algorithms, data sources, and clinical results to find problems quickly.
Another problem is relying too much on AI. AI should help nurses make decisions, but it should never replace their careful judgment and knowledge. Nurses are still responsible for patient care, even with AI help.
Data privacy and security are very important. AI systems handle lots of sensitive patient information. Nurses must follow HIPAA rules to keep this information safe. They should also explain to patients how their data is collected and used.
As AI changes and improves, nurses must keep learning to use it well. Healthcare groups should include AI education in nursing training and give regular chances for learning on the job.
U.S. medical practice leaders should invest in educational tools like workshops, online lessons, and sessions with AI developers to help nurses. Training should include practicing with AI tools, examples of ethical questions, and updates about rules and policies.
Good skills training lowers mistakes, builds confidence, and helps nurses get the most from AI while avoiding risks.
Using AI in nursing ethically is very important. The American Nurses Association (ANA) says AI should support nursing values like caring, fairness, and respect for patients.
Nurses must be involved in ethical decisions about AI use, including:
Healthcare leaders should make policies that match AI use with nursing ethics. This might mean setting up committees with nurses to watch over AI tool choices and use.
Nurses are responsible for decisions made with AI. They must improve ethical skills along with technical skills. Talking openly about problems or incidents with AI helps create trust and responsibility.
Nurses have an important role in how AI develops in healthcare organizations. Their experience makes sure AI tools meet real needs and keep patient care central.
Administrators and IT managers should include nurses in planning and checking AI projects. Nurses can speak up for policies that protect patients and support the nursing workforce.
Using lessons learned from AI in clinical work helps improve future AI systems to be safer, fairer, and more useful. Combining technology with nursing knowledge helps healthcare places give better care and adapt to new challenges.
AI can help nurses by improving daily work tasks. Many nursing jobs, like answering phones, scheduling, entering data, and documenting, take up a lot of time. This limits face-to-face patient care.
At the front desk, AI-powered phone systems can handle routine communication. These AI services can answer calls anytime, managing appointment requests, reminders, and common questions. This reduces staff work and lowers wait times, which helps patients.
On the clinical side, AI tools that listen and write down nurse-patient talks into electronic records free nurses from a lot of typing. This lets them spend more time focused on patients and lowers burnout caused by paperwork.
AI also helps organize work by checking patient data in real time and warning nurses about urgent changes. Automated systems can keep track of medication plans, lab results, and care activities, helping nurses stay on top of tasks.
For medical practices in the U.S., choosing and adding AI tools should consider existing IT systems, how well AI works with electronic records, and how staff accept the tools. Training and technical support are needed to make changes smooth.
Good AI use balances speed with keeping the human connection central to nursing care. When used well, AI in workflows improves productivity while keeping patient care quality and kindness.
In summary, the N.U.R.S.E.S. framework gives nurses and healthcare leaders in the United States a clear, step-by-step guide to add AI tools responsibly and practically. By learning about AI, using it wisely, watching for problems, supporting ongoing training, following ethics, and including nurses in future AI plans, healthcare places can improve nursing work and patient results at the same time.
Medical practice owners and managers should focus on this structured method as AI tools become more common. This helps make sure new technology supports nursing work instead of making it harder while respecting ethical duties essential to quality care in America.
AI literacy is crucial for nurses to ensure the safe and effective use of AI technologies in patient care, enabling them to enhance decision-making and adapt to evolving healthcare environments.
The N.U.R.S.E.S. framework—Navigate AI basics, Utilize AI strategically, Recognize AI pitfalls, Skills support, Ethics in action, and Shape the future—offers a structured approach for nurses to incorporate AI knowledge and ethics into clinical practice.
By integrating AI principles into both academic curricula and bedside learning, nurses can close the knowledge gap, ensuring proficiency in AI application and ongoing competency development.
Continuous education helps nurses stay updated with AI advances, sharpening their skills to responsibly and competently use AI tools in dynamic healthcare settings.
AI enhances nursing decision-making, supports workflow efficiency, and provides tools for improved patient diagnosis and care management.
Challenges include managing biased data, ensuring ethical application, and overcoming gaps in AI knowledge among nursing staff.
Ethical considerations ensure that AI is used responsibly, protecting patient rights and safety, while maintaining trust and integrity in healthcare delivery.
Nurses influence AI development by advocating for ethical policies, participating in governance, and applying AI tools that prioritize patient and organizational benefits.
Recognizing pitfalls such as bias and misuse enables nurses to mitigate risks, promoting safer AI implementation and safeguarding quality care.
AI literacy empowers nurses to confidently navigate emerging technologies, enhancing their role in care delivery and policy advocacy within healthcare systems.
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