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Think of the professions that are most impacted by artificial intelligence (AI). Does finance or writing come to mind? That’s true, but these are not the only professionals influenced by technological advancements. Nursing is one of the leading professions that is influenced by AI. However, it isn't the first field that people think of when discussing AI and its effects. AI in nursing has made life easier for Nursing Assistants. It has completely changed the way they perform their daily tasks.
Hundreds of applications and healthcare AI solutions are available for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) to deliver quality care. However, the students and the professionals must understand how AI can make their jobs manageable. In this article, we will explore the use of AI in nursing to alleviate the burden on CNAs and raise the standards of healthcare delivery.
How AI in Nursing Empowers CNAs
Nursing has come a long way since its early days. AI offers numerous benefits not only to providers but also to patients. Here are some benefits of AI for Nursing Assistants:
Automates Administrative Tasks
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What do you think is the most tedious and time-consuming job for a CNA? It’s repetitive administrative tasks. In the hustle and bustle of handling administrative tasks like data entry, appointment scheduling, and more, they can’t focus on patient basic care, like bathing, dressing, etc. These tasks drain all the energy from the CNAs and put a lot of stress on them.
Healthcare AI solutions automate these administrative tasks and reduce the burden on CNAs. This automation minimizes the rate of errors and saves a massive amount of time. Moreover, it empowers CNAs to put all their efforts toward delivering quality care.
Early Intervention With Predictive Analytics
For those who don't know, AI has the potential to process and analyze vast amounts of data within a fraction of the time. This capability allows CNAs to analyze patients' complete medical records quickly and identify patterns to foresee adverse events. This empowers CNAs to inform caregivers so that they can intervene in a timely manner and provide the necessary patient care to achieve better health outcomes.
Healthcare organizations are investing heavily in AI predictive analytics, which is visible from the global predictive AI market, which will be $108 billion by 2033.
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Medical Supplies Management
Managing and stocking medical supplies is a crucial task that ensures healthcare facilities run smoothly. A survey stated that 74% of respondents cited compromised care in surgery and anesthetics due to medical supply shortages. AI can significantly ease this responsibility for Certified Nursing Assistants. AI-powered systems track medical supplies in real-time. It reduces the need for CNAs to manually track supply usage. Moreover, these systems forecast the demand to ensure CNAs always have the necessary supplies on hand without overstocking.
Emotional Support For Everyone
AI tools empower CNAs to gain insights from patient data so that providers can deliver personalized care to each patient. Curious minds must be wondering how it is possible, and it will take a considerable amount of time. If you think so, you need to reconsider. Let us clarify.
AI analyzes comprehensive patient data, including medical histories, medication, and other important data. Moreover, wearable AI devices can gather patient vital signs in real-time for AI to examine. It helps CNAs to respond quickly to these changes and inform the providers to improve patient satisfaction.
Moreover, AI applications can analyze patients' speech patterns, facial expressions, and behavior to assess their emotional state. This helps CNAs identify patients who may need additional emotional support or mental health interventions.
Telehealth and RPM
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Healthcare organizations have recognized the need for AI-powered telehealth and remote patient monitoring solutions to raise the standards of healthcare delivery. A large number of healthcare businesses are incorporating these systems into their ecosystem. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global telemedicine and telehealth market was $120.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $285.7 billion by 2028. These numbers are enough to show the growing demand for these healthcare AI solutions.
CNAs can utilize these tools to record patients' condition and provide essential support remotely. It enhances not only the satisfaction level of providers but also the patients as they don't have to be physically available with the patient.
What are the Challenges of Using AI in Nursing?
With great power comes great responsibility! You may have heard it before. AI has the power to transform the healthcare industry, but it comes with numerous challenges. The technology in the wrong hands can cause more harm than good. It is pivotal for businesses to address the barriers of AI to reap its full benefits. Here are some challenges of using AI in nursing:
The worst thing about today's AI technology is that it lacks empathy. In contrast, we all know that being a Nursing Assistant is a profession that operates on human connection. Patients can feel disconnection when interacting with AI tools.
Patients are becoming highly insensitive about their information. To add fuel to the fire, the integration of AI in nursing poses challenges to patient privacy and data breaches. The data breach can result in dissatisfaction and harm the hard-earned reputation of an organization. To avoid this, organizations must ensure that their AI systems are compliant with regulatory authorities like HIPAA.
Conclusion
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Nursing Assistants are deeply impacted by AI’s influence. It streamlines the administrative processes and allows professionals to prioritize what matters the most: Patient Care. With the right balance between AI in nursing and compassion within the healthcare practice, CNAs can have a positive impact on patients’ lives.
It is pivotal to understand that AI and technological advancements are here to make life easier for CNAs, not to replace them.
There is a huge demand for Nursing Assistants and many job opportunities. If you’re interested in how to become a CNA near you, just enter your zip code on our website’s Free CNA School Finder to find Nursing Assistant schools near you and even online.