Lessons learned from the AI summit
As AI has exploded into our world, nurses are actively looking at how AI should be used in healthcare. The Northwest Summit to Reimagine AI in Nursing and Health Care (RAIN), held at the University of Washington on May 15, featured 19 speakers discussing the impact of AI. These perspectives will contribute to a statewide Nursing Perspective Statement for the Washington AI Taskforce’s 2026 report.
I took part in the panel discussion "Reimagining AI in Nursing: Policy, Practice, and Protecting Clinical Judgment in a Digital Future." I felt it was important to represent the perspective of someone who actively sees patients to ensure attendees understand both the limitations and opportunities of AI in healthcare.
Here are the Top 5 lessons learned:
Here are the Top 5 lessons learned
This is a test
AI cannot replace the heart, judgment, expertise, and accountability of a human nurse. Our role extends beyond technical tasks and requires the critical thinking necessary to manage nuanced clinical situations.
We must establish guardrails now. AI is advancing faster than we can keep up with it, and patient use of this technology is increasing.
Because patients are already using these tools, nurses must have a basic understanding of how AI works to help clarify or contextualize information for them.
Nurses must have a seat at the table when AI implementation decisions are made. We cannot allow other professions or system leaders to speak for bedside nurses.
AI can be a nurse-led innovation, but we cannot "AI our way out" of structural issues like unsafe staffing, lack of access, or health inequities. If we neglect these foundational problems, the cracks in our healthcare system will only worsen.
On a personal note, AI can improve some ways of delivering care. I use AI ambient listening technology when I see patients. It allows me to focus more on looking at the patient, reading body language, and maintaining eye contact. There are sometimes errors or statements that need more context, but it allows me to focus on what I trained to do.
I also use helpful evidence-based tools that allow me to access patient clinical resources more efficiently, such as Open Evidence.
Of course, all of these tools are more to augment the care I provide, not replace clinical judgment. When implemented with nursing and clinician input, they can certainly be helpful tools to improve the care I provide.