The past few years have proven that artificial intelligence (AI) is more than just a buzzword — it’s a powerful tool that enables innovation and efficiency — two critical factors in the success of nursing operations. This advanced technology is poised to greatly augment nursing practice by improving processes, enhancing patient care quality, minimizing healthcare risks, and reducing mortality rates
Recently, a growing number of healthcare organizations have become increasingly interested in healthcare AI, and that number is only expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. By 2030, the global healthcare AI market is projected to reach almost US$188 billion, a staggering 1,609% increase compared to the US$11 billion it was worth back in 2021.
This article will put AI in the spotlight and discuss how it’s changing the nursing landscape and how organizations that harness AI technology can help their nursing workforce work better, faster, and safer.
What is AI?
Simply put, artificial intelligence, a field of computer science that encompasses machine learning and deep learning, enables machines to imitate human intelligence.
Through AI, computers can solve tasks, classify and sort data, and make data-driven decisions, which usually require human intervention or intelligence to accomplish. Popular examples of AI-powered tools include smart cars or autonomous vehicles, digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, and OpenAI’s Chat GPT.
AI applications in nursing
AI tools can help aid nurses in their everyday tasks and help ease nurse burnout. The proper use of AI tools and a solid understanding of its possible limitations and challenges will enable nurses to provide better and more empathetic patient care at the bedside and empower them to make data-driven decisions.
The following are some helpful AI applications in the field of nursing:
Assisting in administrative and documentation tasks
Nurses spend a substantial amount of time dealing with documentation. With AI, nurses can automate their documentation tasks, including creating patient assessments and writing progress notes. AI tools can transform documentation dictation or verbal inputs into written documentation and automatically update patients’ electronic health records (EHRs). This can effectively free up nurses’ time and enable them to focus on care coordination and medication administration.
AI-powered documentation tools can also summarize, organize, and tag nursing notes properly, serving as a resource that patients can refer to for important health-related tasks, including medication reminders and follow-up appointments.
Monitoring patients’ vitals and forecasting risks
AI can actively and accurately monitor patient vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, oxygen saturation, and respiration rate. Nurses can use this tool to monitor potential anomalies and adverse reactions to administer life-saving techniques.
AI algorithms can also be used to analyze a patient’s data, including their past medical records, lifestyle information, and real-time vital signs or health metrics. This can lead to a better understanding of which diseases the patient will most likely be at risk of developing. With AI-powered monitoring and forecasting tools, healthcare practitioners will be able to help with patient recovery and disease prevention.
Managing workforce needs
With nurses — a concerning 95% of them — experiencing high burnout levels in the past three years, nursing leaders need to find better ways to provide a better work-life experience for their nursing workforce. This is where AI comes in. AI technology helps optimize schedules and predict staff needs. AI-based scheduling tools can even be used to pinpoint signs of burnout.
In one study involving the use of AI-based scheduling and anesthesiologists’ burnout rates, there was a 4% decrease in burnout compared to burnout rates five years before the tool was implemented.
Nursing leaders and healthcare organizations need to be open to using new technologies that can help improve operations, boost morale, and enhance patient care experiences. At Oculus Health, we leverage technology to help healthcare facilities with their administrative and recruitment needs to deliver a hassle-free experience to both job seekers and employers. Experience the Oculus Health difference today.
