Country Launches Future of Nursing Study Unveiling the Balance of AI Integration and Preserving Humanity in Healthcare
- Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. collaborates with Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing for the Future of Nursing survey.
- Survey titled 'Embracing Technology While Preserving Humanity' explores the impact of AI on nursing professionals.
- Over 1,100 nursing professionals and students contribute insights to the study.
- Majority of nurses express reservations about AI integration, citing concerns about empathy, job displacement, data security, and regulatory complexities.
- 38% of respondents question AI's potential benefits for the nursing field.
- Survey emphasizes the importance of balancing technology advancements with human-centric care in healthcare.
- John A. Martins, President and CEO of Cross Country, stresses the need to maintain a balance between technology and humanity in nursing.
- Study highlights nurses' concerns about mental well-being in the healthcare industry.
- None.
Survey results reveal a nuanced perspective among nurses toward the integration of AI, with over half expressing reservations and
"As we navigate the future of nursing, our compass must be set on a dual course: embracing technology to propel us forward while steadfastly preserving the humanity at the core of our profession," noted John A. Martins, President and CEO of Cross Country. "This delicate balance is charting the course for the future of the healthcare industry."
In addition to shedding light on nurses' mental well-being, with notable concerns about staffing shortages and burnout, the study uncovered several key insights:
-
Despite the potential of telehealth services,
74% of nurses have never utilized them, citing doubts about their efficacy in delivering comprehensive patient care. -
A significant portion of both employed (
29% ) and student nurses (41% ) contemplate retirement or transitioning out of the profession in the near future. -
An overwhelming
96% of nurses advocate for increased pay rates and incentives to attract and retain nursing talent.
"Ultimately, AI will not replace wisdom – intuition, empathy and experience. Nothing can replace the human experience," said Martins. "However, AI has the potential to free time from routine tasks to help nursing practitioners focus more on their patients and healthcare outcomes."
Cross Country recommends four strategies for healthcare organizations to empower nurses in adopting AI:
- Transparency: Ensure nurses understand AI's impact and benefits to their roles through transparent communication from leadership, building trust and reducing apprehension as well as case studies to show how the technology works to move the profession forward.
- Training: Implement comprehensive training programs customized for nurses, demystifying AI and enhancing proficiency in AI-powered tools to foster confidence.
- Communication: Customize communication strategies to resonate with different nurse personas, addressing their unique concerns and preferences to promote AI acceptance.
- Feedback: Solicit and integrate nurses' feedback into AI solutions, tailoring them to address specific challenges and improve the nursing experience
“We are at the forefront of training future nurses to embrace the many opportunities that technology offers to improve patient outcomes and streamline time consuming day-to-day administrative tasks,” said Safiya George, Ph.D., the Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean and Professor, FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. “As AI rapidly evolves in the delivery of healthcare, nothing will replace the human touch, empathy and compassion that is at the core of the nursing profession. Ultimately, current and future nurses will find a synergistic balance between technology, innovation, patient trust and the human connection.”
In 2021, FAU’s College of Nursing and College of Engineering and Computer Science launched two new combined programs in nursing and artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering. The innovative combined degree programs provide FAU bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) graduates with a leading edge in AI, which includes algorithms, pattern matching, deep learning and cognitive computing to learn how to understand complex data. AI can be applied to almost every field of healthcare, including drug development, treatment decisions and patient care. Graduates of this new program will be able utilize knowledge to tackle complex problems that would otherwise be difficult or very time-intensive to address without AI. FAU BSN graduates who continue on to the master’s in science (MS) in the biomedical engineering program will use engineering principles to define and solve problems in biology, medicine, healthcare and other fields.
"The future of nursing, augmented by AI, holds immense promise for driving positive change, elevating patient experiences, and broadening access to healthcare services," commented Martins. "While AI technology can offer efficiency gains to supplement staffing levels and reduce stressful working conditions, it is essential to the future success of healthcare that we acknowledge that skilled talent will remain indispensable to effective healthcare delivery and outcomes."
About the Survey: This national Cross Country Healthcare survey was conducted with 1,127 nursing professionals and students at healthcare and hospital facilities. The online survey was conducted between January 18 and March 11, 2024, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.
About Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. is a market-leading, tech-enabled workforce solutions and advisory firm with 38 years of industry experience and insight. We help clients tackle complex labor-related challenges and achieve high-quality outcomes while reducing complexity and improving visibility through data-driven insights. Diversity, equality, and inclusion are at the heart of the organization’s overall corporate social responsibility program. It is closely aligned with our core values to create a better future for its people, communities, and stockholders.
About Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is nationally and internationally known for its excellence and philosophy of caring science. In 2024, the College was ranked No. 4 for the Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s concentration nationwide by
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240425514495/en/
Karen Varga-Sinka, Cross Country
Kvarga-sinka@crosscountry.com
813-944-7124
Source: Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.
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