Significance of Automation in Nursing Workflows

Abstract

Nurses have expressed a growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI), but automation tools remain underutilized to address key challenges like nurse burnout and heavy workloads, which are associated with reduced productivity, intent to leave, and negative patient outcomes. A web-based survey was administered to clinical nurses and nurse leaders practicing in acute care settings in the United States to investigate the significance of workflow automation-defined as technologies that automate manual, repetitive tasks through rule-based processes (eg, automation in clinical documentation or scheduling)-in nursing practice. The results showed that nurse leaders have a better perception of using workflow automation in their practice compared to clinical nurses. Clinical nurses who use workflow automation are somewhat satisfied, while nurse leaders who use it are mostly dissatisfied. Partnership between information technology (IT) and nursing, as well as strong IT support, were significant predictors of workflow automation satisfaction for clinical nurses, while prioritizing innovation and efficiency in an organization was a significant predictor for nurse leaders. This study recommends educating clinical nurses on workflow automation techniques and their benefits (eg, reducing repetitive tasks like vital sign entry into electronic health records), empowering nurses to be involved in identifying tools that can reduce burden and workload, investing in tools that reduce manual and repetitive tasks nurses do every day, and partnering with tech industries to develop nurse-friendly tools, potentially bundling AI for advanced applications like predictive analytics. Clinical nurses and nurse leaders are highly interested in using workflow automation; therefore, integration of workflow automation in nursing practice must be prioritized in health care to support workload reduction and advance AI adoption.

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