Artificial intelligence is already transforming healthcare. But in many ways, it has been part of nursing practice for years.
There are several examples.
Every day, nurses use clinical decision-support systems built on sophisticated algorithms to guide evidence-based care. Medication ordering and administration systems help improve safety and accuracy. Electronic medical records analyze chronic conditions, allergies and medications, generating alerts for potential contraindications and dangerous drug interactions. AI-powered sepsis alerts also identify patterns that may signal a patient is deteriorating, allowing clinicians to intervene sooner.
And perhaps the longest-standing example is cardiac monitoring technology, which interprets the heart’s electrical activity into readable rhythms that nurses continuously assess.
That history is important because it underscores a simple fact: nurses have never been opposed to AI.
Nurses have consistently embraced technologies that improve patient care, reduce administrative burdens and support better clinical decision-making.
But technology alone does not improve healthcare.
People do.
That is why a recent American Nurses Association survey deserves the attention of healthcare executives, policymakers and hospital leaders. While more nurses are using AI in their daily work, most still say they do not trust it enough to rely on it independently for patient care.
That is not resistance to innovation.
It is a call for responsible leadership.
AI governance is fundamentally a patient safety issue. Every new technology should be evaluated for how it influences clinical decision-making, communication among care teams and patient outcomes. As AI capabilities evolve, governance and oversight must keep pace.
Nurses have long understood another essential truth: no technology, regardless of how advanced, can replace professional nursing judgment.
Every day, nurses synthesize clinical data, recognize subtle changes in a patient’s condition, communicate with families, coordinate care and make countless assessments that depend on experience, critical thinking and human interaction. AI can analyze data and identify patterns, but every recommendation must still be interpreted and applied to a unique individual with distinct needs and circumstances.
That’s precisely why nurses should help shape how AI is adopted throughout New Jersey’s healthcare system.
Hospitals across New Jersey are investing heavily in AI to improve efficiency, reduce documentation burdens and address workforce challenges. Those investments hold tremendous promise, but if frontline clinicians are not meaningfully involved in selecting, testing and implementing these technologies, they may fall short of their potential.
Too often, nurses are asked for their input only after new systems have already been purchased. By then, implementation is already underway.
That needs to change.
Nurses understand clinical workflows, patient communication and care coordination better than anyone. They can quickly identify when technology improves care, and when it creates unnecessary complexity or introduces new safety concerns.
Healthcare organizations should make nurses active partners in evaluating, implementing and continuously monitoring AI systems. Their experience is essential to identifying patient safety risks early and ensuring technology enhances, rather than complicates, clinical care.
Good governance also means ongoing evaluation. AI systems should be monitored to ensure they remain safe, effective and equitable as healthcare evolves. Hospitals must also examine AI for bias, since technologies trained on incomplete or unrepresentative data can unintentionally reinforce disparities in care. Nurses, who care for patients from every community and background, are often the first to recognize when technology is helping patients, and when it is not.
Successful AI governance depends on collaboration. Nurses should work alongside physicians, technology experts, ethicists, compliance professionals and healthcare leaders to guide AI adoption. Every discipline brings valuable expertise, but nurses see firsthand how technology affects patient care every hour of every shift.
Education is equally important. As AI capabilities continue to expand, nurses need practical education about both the strengths and limitations of these tools. Safe implementation depends on understanding when AI can support clinical decisions, and when professional judgment must take precedence.
New Jersey is well positioned to lead this conversation. Our state is home to nationally recognized hospitals, leading academic medical centers and one of the nation’s strongest life sciences sectors. We have the expertise to demonstrate that successful AI implementation is measured not by how quickly technology is deployed, but by whether it improves patient outcomes, strengthens clinician confidence and delivers safer care.
Artificial intelligence should strengthen the work nurses already do. not replace the expertise, judgment and compassion that define professional nursing.
The question is no longer whether AI belongs in healthcare. It already does.
The real question is whether healthcare leaders will fully engage nurses in shaping how AI is designed, implemented and governed. By giving nurses a meaningful seat at the table, New Jersey can ensure artificial intelligence fulfills its promise while preserving what matters most: safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.
Judy Schmidt is the CEO of the N.J. State Nurses Association.
