Artificial intelligence in health care: Assessing impact on professional roles and preparedness among hospital nurse leaders.

INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, with benefits such as personalized treatment and efficient diagnosis; however, it also comes with challenges such as data protection and ethical concerns.

AIM

This study examined nurse leaders' perceptions of AI's impact on their professional roles and their level of preparedness for AI integration.

METHODS

This descriptive correlational study was conducted at various hospitals in Hail City, Saudi Arabia. The Shinners Artificial Intelligence Perception tool was used to evaluate 155 nurse leaders' perceptions of AI and their readiness for its adoption.

RESULTS

The SHAIP tool, previously validated in international studies, was further adapted and validated for this context using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability testing, ensuring robust measurement of nurse leaders' perceptions and preparedness regarding AI. Nurse leaders showed a positive perception of AI's impact on their roles (mean score = 3.72), but lower perceived preparedness (mean score = 3.32). Education level (where holders of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing showed lower perceptions, with a coefficient of -0.66,  = .006) and department significantly influenced their perceptions of AI. No significant predictors of preparedness for AI were identified. Further, there was no correlation between the perceived AI impact and preparedness.

CONCLUSION

Although nurse leaders recognize AI's potential in healthcare, there is a gap between their perceptions and preparedness. Tailored education and training programs are required to enhance the integration of AI into nursing leadership and practice.