Nurses Are the Missing Link in Healthcare AI Adoption

When most people think about AI in healthcare, they picture data, machines, algorithms, or even robots. But you know who’s not often pictured? Nurses. And that’s an important gap we need to address.

Nurses make up nearly 30% of the healthcare workforce and are at the front lines of patient care. We’re the constant at the bedside. And because we’re closely connected to patients in real time, involving nurses in early conversations about new technology is critical. Yet, too often, nurses are brought in after the system is selected, configured, and deployed.

Then, nurses are expected to use it seamlessly, often without much input into how it works. That can feel frustrating, and it can make adoption more difficult. 

Tech Should Make the Day Easier, Not Harder

I always say, if you want to know whether a new tool will make things better or more complicated, ask a nurse. Nurses understand what fits the flow of care and what might disrupt it. 

I remember visiting a hospital that had implemented a new communications tool. On paper, it was designed to make things easier. But when I spoke with the nurses, they shared that they were receiving a flood of messages — many of them irrelevant, like bed cleaning updates that would override communication with the physicians. It was overwhelming and had the potential to impact patient safety. I asked, “Did you bring this up?” They said, “Yes. But nothing has been done about it yet.”

That’s the kind of challenge that arises when nurses aren’t part of the process early on. It’s not that nurses resist technology; they simply want it to support them and not add extra burdens. When nurses are included in the conversation from the start, they can help identify these issues before they become everyday frustrations or even worse, issues that may impede care delivery. They can help design solutions that truly work in the real world and not just in demonstrations.

Some healthcare organizations are already leading the way by partnering with nurses early in the design process, and the results speak for themselves. As an example, I toured a hospital where a nurse colleague led the design and implementation of virtual nursing in a hospital inpatient unit and reported improvements in patient satisfaction, nurse engagement and nursing workflow efficiencies.

AI Can Be Powerful — When Nurses Trust It

There’s real potential in AI. I’ve seen it firsthand. Clinical decision support, predictive tools, even systems that help personalize the patient experience — all of these can be transformative. But only if they’re thoughtfully designed and integrated into clinical workflows.

I recall piloting a rounding tool that used patient experience notes from previous admissions to inform their current visit. A nurse could enter the room and say, “Last time you were here, I see that your discharge was delayed. We are going to make sure that doesn’t happen this time.” That kind of continuity builds trust with patients and provides nurses with useful information at their fingertips that builds confidence that they’re seeing the whole picture.

However, if a nurse doesn’t trust the tool, they will not use it. And that’s completely understandable. When technology isn’t reliable or doesn’t save time, it just becomes one more thing to manage on an already busy day.

Don’t Just Ask for Input, Invite Nurses to the Table

One common mistake is asking nurses for “feedback” only at the very end of the process. The system is already built. The decision has been made. And then, during a 12-hour shift, nurses are expected to test something new and share their thoughts. This approach can unintentionally reduce input to a box-checking exercise rather than meaningful collaboration.

The better solution is to bring nurses in from the beginning when defining the problem, not just when a product is being selected. Let nurses identify the problems and help shape solutions based on what really works at the bedside. And to do this well, it’s important to provide nurses with the dedicated time and space needed to contribute meaningfully.

When that happens, nurses don’t just adopt technology; they become your biggest champions because they helped build it.

It’s About Technology, but It’s Also About Trust

Let’s be clear-no technology, AI or automation can ever replace a nurse. But with the right tools designed and used the right way, we can support and enable the power of the nurse-patient relationship. At the heart of this is trust. Nurses need to trust that AI and other technologies support clinical judgment, not override it. They need to believe that these tools will genuinely help, and they need to feel that their voices truly matter throughout the process.

Trust isn’t built overnight. It takes listening, follow-through, and consistent nursing presence at the table! .

And here’s the key: when nurses feel trusted and included, nurses are empowered and burnout decreases. That sense of agency and connection helps nurses stay engaged — especially during challenging times.

So, Where Do We Go from Here?

AI isn’t five years away; it’s already here. And whether it succeeds or fails depends on how well it fits into the lives of the people delivering care. Nurses aren’t just users of technology; they are problem-solvers, decision-makers, and connectors between patients and the healthcare system.

To my fellow nurses: your voice is powerful and matters more than ever. By speaking up and participating, you can help create the future you want to see.