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Wolters Kluwer Health’s latest Future Ready Healthcare Nursing Report reveals that nearly half of U.S. nurses are already using generative AI on the job, viewing it as a promising tool to address staffing shortages, reduce burnout, and accelerate onboarding while maintaining their passion for patient care.
The nursing profession continues to face persistent issues including staffing shortages, burnout, and career satisfaction pressures. Despite these challenges, nurses remain deeply committed to delivering high-quality patient care. Wolters Kluwer Health’s new report, Nursing insights: Redefining nursing practice for an AI-driven future, explores how generative AI is already influencing daily practice and its potential to alleviate some of these longstanding pain points.
The survey findings show strong receptivity among nurses toward GenAI adoption. Nearly half are actively using the technology at work, and a majority recognize its value in easing transitions from education to practice and supporting overall workforce efficiency.
"Nurses are leading the way in embracing AI’s potential, recognizing both the urgent need and the unique opportunity technology brings to healthcare,” said Julie Stegman, Vice President, Wolters Kluwer Health Learning & Practice. “Hospitals and health systems must work with their nursing teams to implement AI thoughtfully. This can be done by supporting collaboration and investing in digital skills that will set the pace for sustainable change – which will ensure clinical judgment and patient trust remain at the heart of nursing.”
Nurses identify several practical applications where GenAI can make an immediate difference. Almost half believe it can help combat burnout through automation of repetitive tasks such as documentation and handling routine patient inquiries. Additionally, 62% report that incorporating AI into onboarding and training accelerates the time it takes for new staff to contribute confidently on the unit.
These insights suggest GenAI could play a meaningful role in supporting workforce sustainability, particularly as healthcare systems seek ways to retain experienced nurses and integrate new talent more effectively.
While optimism is high, the report highlights notable gaps in institutional readiness. Only about one in five nurses say their organizations have formal GenAI policies or require structured training prior to deployment. More than half express worry that overreliance on AI outputs could erode clinical judgment skills over time.
These findings underscore the need for thoughtful, evidence-based implementation strategies that prioritize nurse involvement, clear governance, and ongoing education to build confidence and maintain the human-centered essence of nursing practice.
The majority of nurses (77%) consider GenAI essential to future productivity gains in healthcare organizations. A strong majority of respondents also indicate that their institutions plan to leverage digital strategies for professional development, creating direct pathways to prepare nurses for AI-supported practice.
Nearly one-third of nurses note that GenAI-enhanced onboarding makes new staff more productive and confident, while equal proportions see opportunities for greater innovation and improved team communication and collaboration.
As healthcare continues to evolve, balancing rapid technological advancement with safeguards that protect clinical decision-making and patient trust will be essential. The report emphasizes collaborative implementation approaches that empower nurses as active partners in shaping AI’s role in care delivery.
The full report, Nursing insights: Redefining nursing practice for an AI-driven future, is available for download and provides deeper analysis from this nationally representative survey conducted by Ipsos in early 2025 among U.S. healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, allied health workers, administrators, and medical librarians.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in information, software solutions and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2024 annual revenues of €5.9 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.
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