I recently attended a very interesting and compelling educational session on the topic of innovation and the changing face of healthcare. Much of the panel presentation discussion was regarding AI. The potential is truly fascinating.
And then one of the presenters used a term in a discussion about emerging technology that made me cringe: “nurse robots”.
Some of the discussion that followed this unfortunate term noted problems with adoption of technology by clinicians, including nursing. I can see why…
We have to be so careful about the words we use; especially now with this rapid evolution of AI. To understand how careful we need to be, let’s first explore why this term is so problematic.
1. Referring to robots that assist in nursing as “nurse robots” dehumanizes and significantly diminishes the role of nurses, who provide not only hands-on care but also emotional support and compassion—qualities that robots cannot replicate.
2. The term implies that robots can fully replace human nurses, which is woefully incorrect. While robots can assist with certain tasks, they cannot fully take over the complex, nuanced care, and intervention that human nurses provide.
3. The use of such terminology undermines the professional identity and training of actual nurses, suggesting that their role can be easily replicated by machines.
4. It creates a misconception among the public regarding the capabilities of robots in healthcare, potentially leading to unrealistic expectations about their roles in patient care.
AI is moving so fast. This rapidity must be partnered with careful communication as well as deep involvement of the personnel that AI will support. Involve nurses in this development and overwhelming success will follow. Imagine nurses all working at the top of their license and relieved from all manner of administrative burden and minor tasks that are the major source of their current stress and dissatisfaction because it keeps them from their patients. Just ask them. They will tell you!