Target: Bill Cassidy, Chair of Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Goal: Provide regulatory framework for use of artificial intelligence in nursing.
They can work without breaks, speak multiple languages, compile large amounts of data, and sometimes diagnose conditions — at the rate of about nine dollars an hour. Proponents of artificial intelligence (AI) nursing technology tout these benefits. They claim this technology is meant as a supplement to overburdened nurses that will make their jobs easier. But an increasing number of nursing professionals believe the push for AI is a move to push them out…to the detriment of patients.
Over 20 nationwide demonstrations were recently scheduled to raise concerns about the rapid rise of AI in clinical settings. For one, critics cite the errors inherent in this still-evolving technology. Plentiful anecdotes exist about dangerous misdiagnoses or recommendations that nurses sometimes had to override, at the risk of their careers. And even if systems are operating correctly, a machine cannot pick up on the subtle physical cues presented by patients, from demeanor to odor. Direct interaction can detect often life-saving information. Nurses also provide a vital human element that can help patients feel more comfortable and open about their issues.
Currently, no federal guidelines exist regarding clinical and nursing AI, which leaves hospitals free to prioritize cost-cutting and profit over patient care. Sign the petition below to demand a solid framework for implementing a technology that wields both the power to do great good and great harm.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senator Cassidy,
Corporations dealing in nursing AI often put money savings for hospitals first and foremost. And due to the lack of current federal regulation for a technology that is still in many respects in its childhood, hospital boards are pursuing these cost-cutting measures that may ultimately not be in the long-term interests of patients. Nurses are rightly concerned about losing their livelihoods, but they are also worried for the future of patient care.
Nurses across the nation have reported “alert fatigue”: a circumstance that occurs when AI programs frequently issue false alarms. But the reports of AI providing faulty diagnostic guidance in emergency cases is even more alarming. In these circumstances, misfires and glitches can cost a life. And while much attention is given to human error, no healthcare professional — including yourself — would likely deny that the human element is essential for building a trusting relationship with patients and for detecting health signs only observable through direct interaction.
AI will never truly reach a point where it is “as good as any doctor” or nurse, as some have suggested. It must be used in coordination with trained healthcare professionals, and it must be used responsibly. Please ensure a smoother integration of AI into nursing and healthcare by working with these professionals to create standard national guidelines that will protect patients and the dedicated professionals who serve them.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: RDNE Stock Project
