AI in nursing

Technology and work

To what extent are we willing to replace human beings at work with robots powered by AI?

Nursing involves direct contact with people. AI technologies may help reduce some tasks and organise clinical information, with the aim of leaving more time for care. Their benefits depend on how they are validated and integrated into daily practice.

One area of research is bringing together relevant patient information to help detect changes in their condition. This information needs to be interpreted alongside the healthcare team’s assessment.

RothmanIndex

Nancy Robert’s 2019 article describes the use at Yale New Haven Hospital in the United States of the RothmanIndex to track patient acuity and the risk of deterioration.

The Rothman Index described in that publication used 26 clinical variables, including 11 nursing assessments. The case illustrates how a monitoring tool can bring together information useful for care; its results should not automatically be generalised to every hospital or patient.

AI and nursing today

The cited literature also explores robots that support mobility, measure vital signs or assist with medication-related and logistical tasks. Any time savings depend on the task and setting; there is no universal reduction that applies to all nursing work.

Integrating these tools means combining their outputs with scientific evidence, professional experience and each patient’s needs.

The future…

Human care remains central. Tools such as the Rothman Index can support data interpretation, while nursing professionals provide context, participate in decisions and care for people.

If you want to learn the foundations behind these applications, visit our website and discover how to start developing AI projects.

Bibliography:

1.- Robert N. How artificial intelligence is changing nursing. Nurs Manage. 2019 Sep;50(9):30-39. doi:10.1097/01.NUMA.0000578988.56622.21. PMID:31425440; PMCID:PMC7597764.

2.- Kathrin Seibert, Dominik Domhoff, Dominik Bruch, Matthias Schulte-Althoff, Daniel Fürstenau, Felix Biessmann, y Karin Wolf-Ostermann. Application Scenarios for Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Care: Rapid Review. J Med Internet Res. 2021 Nov; 23(11): e26522.

Written by

Eva Arnall

Saturdays.AI

Saturdays.AI is an open community for learning artificial intelligence, collaborating and building projects with social impact.