A network has been established to educate nurses about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and fund research into emerging technologies.
Dr Siobhan O’Connor, a registered nurse and senior lecturer in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at King’s College London, launched a new AI Nurse Network in December.
“AI can help us if we use it wisely.”
Siobhan O’connor
Funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing, the network aims to provide nursing staff with resources and support to use AI in clinical nursing practice.
Dr O’Connor, who had a background in data and computer science before becoming a nurse, told Nursing Times that she started the group in response to the increasing amount of discussion around AI and machine learning technologies.
The hope of this network is that it can spark interest in AI and support nurses in turning their interest in technology into research and improving clinical practice.
Dr. O’Connor’s network aims to achieve this by facilitating existing online courses for clinicians on what AI is, how to use it, and the basics of programming languages.
O’Connor expects the network will then be able to conduct “hands-on” in-person workshops for nurses to teach them the basics of AI throughout the first year.
For example, using AI to search and clean datasets for predictive patient modeling.
He said the network could also help improve nurses’ knowledge and combat the media’s rather “confused” view of AI and its potential impact.
Dr O’Connor said: “For many nurses, they don’t want to deal with AI. They hear about it from time to time, but it doesn’t really impact their daily lives.
“That’s why they completely ignore it. It’s very important for ewes to know at least the basics of how it works and how they can apply it to their daily work. I think it’s important.
“Like any technology, AI is not perfect, but if we use it wisely, it can help us.”
Learn more about digital nursing and AI
Dr O’Connor explained that the NHS already uses different types of AI, including generative AI, machine learning and natural language processing.
He noted that these technologies are already being deployed in some hospital critical care units to provide patient predictions, and how some infection prevention and control staff are beginning to implement them in their work. did.
The network will also provide funding of up to £20,000 to nurse-led research projects in AI research, with applications opening on 6 January and closing on 28 February.
Dr O’Connor said these projects could range from research into the effectiveness of specific AI tools in the workplace to the creation of new tools.
“I want nurses to come up with really novel ways to use AI,” she said, adding that she personally would like to see research into AI in nursing involving the public. .
“AI research is primarily driven by the very best computer scientists, data scientists, and clinical researchers, and the general public is often left out of the picture,” she said. “It would be great to have patient and public participation.”
Dr O’Connor said other research he would like to encourage is addressing ethical, moral and legal issues around the use of AI and its “impact” on the patient-nurse relationship.
Dr O’Connor expressed optimism about the future of technology for clinical practice, explaining that early pilots in the US were excited about using AI ‘avatars’ for some virtual ward systems. .
But such technology needs to be thoroughly tested before implementation to ensure the human touch remains at the heart of nursing care, she said.
“We don’t want AI to replace nurses at all,” Dr. O’Connor said. “It’s just extending what we’re actually doing as much as possible.”
The launch of the AI Nurse Network comes as the UK Government and NHS continue to signal strongly that they want to increasingly rely on technology, including AI, to solve the big challenges facing health and social care. I was disappointed.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting and the Prime Minister said moving from “analogue to digital” is one of three “big changes” they want to see in the NHS, the other two being “from hospitals to communities”. It has been repeatedly stated that. ” and “disease prevention.”
More recently, NHS England’s electoral reform plan referred to leveraging AI and other technologies to “tack on the inefficiencies that are slowing appointments”.
More information about Dr. O’Connor’s new group, including how to get involved, can be found on the AI Nurse Network website.
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