Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Healthcare Nursing Report Shows Nearly Half of Nurses Use AI on the Job

Nurses are receptive to GenAI and believe it can help with workforce shortages

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wolters Kluwer Health has launched a new report, as part of its Future Ready Healthcare initiative, Nursing insights: Redefining nursing practice for an AI-driven future. Staffing shortages, career satisfaction and many other factors continue to weigh on the nursing profession, but one thing has not changed – nurses’ passion to care for patients and deliver great healthcare. The new report aims to understand the implications that technologies such as GenAI may have on the nursing workforce in relieving some of these pain points and what nurses think about the rollout of new solutions.

"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.”

The nursing workforce “gets” AI and can see the promise

While burnout and staffing shortages weigh heavy on nurses’ minds, they are also creating an opportunity for new technology and care models to support the future of the profession. Most nurses across the U.S. say using AI has become commonplace and it may be able to ease the education to practice transition.

• 58% of nurses say they use GenAI in their personal lives and 46% say they use it in the workplace
• Nearly half of nurses (45%) say GenAI could help reduce nursing staff burnout by automating documentation, triaging routine patient questions, and streamlining workflows
• 62% of nurses say the integration of AI into onboarding and training helps staff become more productive by accelerating the time it takes new graduates and transfers to contribute confidently on the unit

Concerns loom about broader healthcare AI adoption

While there is plenty of optimism surrounding the use of AI across industries, including healthcare, there is a gap between how quickly consumer-grade AI is being rolled out and what that means for a more evidence-based industry like healthcare.

• Only 22% of nurse respondents report their institutions having published policies in place for GenAI use
• 22% of their organizations require formal training before deploying the tools in nursing workflows
• More than half of nurses (53%) say they worry that GenAI could undermine decision-making skills or lead to overreliance on algorithmic outputs

What comes next for healthcare AI and nursing

Balancing where technology can enhance and not detract from nurses’ daily workflows while still innovating at a health system-wide level will be a critical balance.

• 77% of nurses say they see GenAI as important to their organizations’ productivity future
• 80% of organizations say they plan to use digital strategies for professional development to create a direct opportunity to prepare nurses for AI-enabled practice
• Almost one-third (28%) of nurses say GenAI-enhanced onboarding and training make new staff more productive and confident
• 54% of nurses say GenAI can enhance innovation, while another 54% say it can improve collaboration and communication

Download the full Nursing insights: Redefining nursing practice for an AI-driven future to read more.

The Future Ready Healthcare Survey Report is a nationally representative survey conducted by Ipsos, an independent marketing research firm, in early 2025. Respondents included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, administrators, and medical librarians across the US.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) 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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