By Courtney Holmes, RN, IFNCP, Clinical Consultant, Micromedex by Merative
LinkedIn: Courtney Holmes, RN, IFNCP
LinkedIn: Merative
To all the nursing students graduates, welcome. Healthcare needs your talents and dedication to patients more than ever.
You’re entering the field at an opportune time because the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 194,500 average annual openings for registered nurses between 2020 and 2030, with employment projected to grow by 9%. Retirements and career changes have ramped up since the pandemic, which means you are part of a massive influx of early-career nurses who are stepping in to fill the gap.
Entering the clinical environment as a new nurse has always been daunting. You spend years training, but nothing fully prepares you for the reality of day-to-day patient care. And today, this rapid transition in the workforce is happening while our practice is being fundamentally reshaped by artificial intelligence.
Using AI: Challenges unique to early-career nurses
In the early days of my nursing career, I used paper charts. The technology revolution of the time centered on the adoption of electronic health records. Before EHRs were ubiquitous, they were also controversial. Some people championed them; others hated them and wanted to stay with the known and familiar. Change is hard, but eventually EHRs became part of our day-to-day routine.
Today’s technology revolution is AI. Many of you entering the workforce today are talented digital natives, but you may still feel cautious about the many AI-driven clinical decision support tools you’ll encounter.
One of the most significant hurdles is simply the sheer volume of information and technology you must understand and apply. On top of clinical knowledge and expertise, you are now expected to learn and navigate a web of complex digital systems. It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed.
New nurses also often face the isolation and uncertainty of the night shift. Many early-career nurses start their journeys working overnight hours, when resources are notoriously thin. In a smaller facility, you might have just one pharmacist on duty for the entire hospital. When you encounter a complex drug interaction or have a simple but critical question, waiting for answers can be incredibly stressful.
And of course, there is a natural insecurity that comes with being new. You do not have decades of experience to draw from when a complex situation arises. Sometimes, you may receive conflicting guidance from people on your clinical team, or an AI tool might suggest a path that does not quite sit right with you.
5 tips for new nurses using AI
Beyond the challenges, there are many opportunities to use these tools safely and effectively to improve patient care. Based on several years in the field as a bedside nurse and advisor for clinical decision support tools, here are a few pieces of advice.
- Rely on your critical thinking
The most important non-negotiable thing in nursing is your judgment. AI is designed to augment your critical thinking, not replace it. AI is there to save you time and assist you, but it cannot do the work for you. If your gut instinct is telling you one thing and an AI tool is telling you another, think through the problem and find supporting data before making your final decision. - Always check the evidence
When you use an AI tool to answer a clinical question, do not take the output at face value. You must check the evidence behind it. Look at the references and the literature the tool pulled from. If you are questioning something, dive deeper into the patient’s history, symptoms, and best practices for the management of that condition. Make informed, evidence-based decisions. - Understand the tools you are using
You don’t know what you don’t know, and that is true for all of us. It’s why we must ask questions about the technology we are using. If your facility introduces a new AI tool, be confident and ask questions, such as:-
- How was this built and trained?
- Where is it pulling its information from?
- How do I know I can trust it?
Understanding the mechanics and limitations of your tools is a crucial part of patient safety.
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- Learn from your senior colleagues
I remember my early days in nursing, and it can be intimidating to ask more senior colleagues for help. But they are tremendous resources. Ask senior nurses on your unit how they use tools and whether they have advice for you. Leaning on the built-in expertise of your unit will help you gain confidence and ensure you use technology correctly. - The patient always comes first
The more things change, the more they stay the same. At its core, nursing has always been about delivering excellent patient care. Remember that each patient is unique, with their own goals, needs, and values. Trust your training, use your tools wisely, and you will be well-equipped to make a real difference for the patients who are counting on you.
Step into your future with confidence
You are entering nursing at a time of rapid change, but the heart of this profession has not changed. Technology will continue to evolve. AI will become more integrated into your daily workflow. But patients will always need a nurse who is present, thoughtful, and thinks beyond the screen in front of them.
Use these tools with confidence, but do not rely on them blindly. Ask questions. Stay curious. Trust your instincts.
The future of healthcare is not just about better technology. It is about better thinking, stronger advocacy, and nurses willing to lead with both knowledge and integrity. You are stepping into that future now.
