Nurse leaders face a transformative AI landscape. Anna E. Schoenbaum, VP of Digital Health at Penn Medicine, highlights their multifaceted role. While AI offers benefits like disease management and efficiency, concerns around data security and ethical dilemmas persist. Nurse leaders must play an active role in AI system adoption, ensuring alignment with nursing best practices. Challenges include data requirements and integration into workflows, which can be addressed with structured education and open communication. Collaborative efforts between healthcare institutions, nurse leaders, and AI developers are crucial. In five years, AI will play an even more significant role in healthcare, aiding in data analysis and personalized care plans.
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, nurse leaders are confronted with the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Anna E. Schoenbaum, DNP, RN-BC, the Vice President of Applications and Digital Health at Penn Medicine, offers insights into the key considerations nurse leaders must navigate in the realm of AI.
The Advancement of AI in Healthcare
AI has progressed to the point where it can replicate human intelligence, including tasks such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. However, what implications does this have for nurses, and how should they approach AI integration into clinical practice? Should they have a say in the selection and adoption of AI systems? How can they ease the fears of their peers? What challenges lie ahead for nurse leaders, and how can they surmount them?
Nurse leaders are at the forefront of AI adoption in healthcare, alongside their colleagues in healthcare leadership. They recognize the potential benefits of AI, including improved disease management, efficient patient monitoring, precision healthcare plans, reduced medical errors, and enhanced patient experiences. However, they are not blind to the genuine concerns that accompany these advancements.
Critical concerns revolve around data security, patient privacy, ethical dilemmas, and the impact of AI on nursing practices. Nurse leaders emphasize the need for a balanced approach to harness AI’s advantages while addressing these apprehensions.
Amid ongoing workforce challenges, clinician burnout, and the emergence of robust AI models, there is a growing interest in applying AI solutions in clinical workflows. Nurse leaders must actively participate in shaping a strategic plan and gain a deep understanding of key enabling factors. These factors encompass governance, talent acquisition and development, agile delivery methods, rigorous technology testing, effective data management, comprehensive training programs, and robust monitoring capabilities. Nurse leaders should also understand the support model, ensuring the continued success of AI solutions.
In a recent interview with Healthcare IT News, Anna E. Schoenbaum shared her insights on nurse leaders’ perspectives on AI and how they can effectively navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.
Q: What do nurse leaders think about when they hear the words artificial intelligence? Are there fears?
A: Nurse leaders hold diverse perspectives on AI, recognizing its transformative potential in healthcare while also harboring genuine concerns. They appreciate the benefits of AI, such as improved disease management and patient monitoring, but are equally aware of issues like data security, ethical considerations, and AI’s impact on nursing practices. Nurse leaders emphasize the need for a balanced approach that harnesses AI’s advantages while addressing these apprehensions.
Q: Should nurse leaders be involved in the purchase or creation of clinical and administrative systems with AI? If so, how?
A: Nurse leaders should unquestionably play an active role in acquiring or developing AI systems. They collaborate with information services, informatics, and operational leaders to implement AI solutions, ensuring that they align with nursing best practices and prioritize patient safety, data integrity, and usability. Nurse leaders actively participate in the selection process, advocate for AI solutions, and engage in training and education efforts to prepare their teams for AI integration.
Q: What are some challenges nurses face when confronting AI systems in their daily duties, and how can they overcome them?
A: Challenges in implementing AI technology include data requirements, ethical and legal considerations, and integrating AI tools into nursing workflows efficiently. Nurse leaders can overcome these challenges by advocating for structured education and training programs, fostering open communication, and providing clear explanations of how AI enhances their roles. Collaborative efforts between healthcare institutions, nurse leaders, and AI developers are crucial to address data-related challenges and ensure the quality of data used by AI systems.
Q: What experiences have you had with AI, and how have they gone?
A: In her role as VP of Application and Digital Health, Anna E. Schoenbaum has gained extensive experience in implementing AI solutions. She collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to oversee AI technology deployment, negotiate contracts, manage resources, and establish support models. She also observes workflow and technology use in nursing units to stay abreast of challenges and opportunities in delivering care.
Q: Where do you see AI and nurses in five years?
A: Over the next five years, AI will play an increasingly significant role in healthcare. Nurse leaders will lead the transformation by integrating AI into clinical workflows, aiding in data analysis and predictive care. AI-driven risk scores will allow for personalized care plans, and healthcare leaders will shape AI-driven quality improvement initiatives. This integration of AI promises to enhance patient outcomes and nursing practice efficiency.
In conclusion, nurse leaders are essential drivers in the adoption and integration of AI in healthcare. They must balance the potential benefits of AI with addressing concerns, advocating for patient safety, and ensuring the effective integration of AI tools into nursing workflows to enhance patient care and nursing practice.
