Imagine getting a call before your hospital visit from someone like Ana. She's kind, multilingual, available 24/7, and ready to answer your questions. But Ana isn't a nurse — she's AI.

Developed by Hippocratic AI, Ana is part of a growing trend in healthcare: artificial intelligence stepping into roles traditionally handled by nurses. While AI promises efficiency and support in overburdened hospitals, many nurses are raising red flags.

What AI Is Doing in Hospitals

Hospitals are embracing AI tools to monitor patients, predict health issues, and automate administrative tasks. Tools like Ana are designed to save time and reduce burnout by handling routine duties like appointment reminders and paperwork.

Some hospital systems use AI to flag emergencies or suggest treatment protocols before a nurse even sees the patient. AI can now process data from electronic records, motion sensors, and vital sign monitors to guide care more precisely.

The Pushback: Nurses Speak Out

Nurses, however, aren't all on board. Unions like National Nurses United worry that AI is being used to replace—not support—human expertise.

"Hospitals are eager to find something that seems legitimate enough to replace us," says Michelle Mahon from the union. She and others argue AI could de-skill the profession and even put patients at risk.

More than 20 protests have been organized demanding that nurses have a say in how AI is used—and that they not be punished for overriding automated advice.

When AI Gets It Wrong

Nurses point to real-life examples where AI falls short. At Dignity Health in Nevada, nurse Adam Hart was told to follow a protocol prompted by AI that could have harmed a dialysis patient. Only a doctor's intervention avoided a mistake.

False alarms are also common. Some systems flag harmless events like bowel movements as emergencies, overwhelming nurses with alerts and making it hard to tell what really matters.

"You have to keep your thinking cap on," Hart says. "Turning over our thought process to machines is reckless."

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

Nursing educators say the key is balance. AI can't detect subtle cues like facial expressions or body odors, which experienced nurses pick up without thinking.

Michelle Collins of Loyola University's College of Nursing believes in embracing AI for what it can do—but warns against letting it replace human connection.

The Workforce Crisis

With over 100,000 nurses leaving the profession during the pandemic and a projected need for nearly 200,000 new nurses annually through 2032, hospitals are desperate for solutions. AI is being positioned as a way to fill the gap—not by taking over, but by assisting doctors and nurses.

Real-World Use Cases

At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, staff must make hundreds of pre-surgery calls. Most patients only answer in the evenings, making staffing difficult.

Enter Qventus, an AI system that handles calls, confirms medications, and summarizes patient info for staff. It's already used in 115 hospitals, promising fewer surgery cancellations and better staff efficiency.

"We're always clear when the caller is AI," says Dr. Joseph Sanford, who leads the program.

The Next Frontier: AI Avatars and Virtual Care

Companies like Israeli startup Xoltar are taking AI even further with lifelike avatars that conduct video calls. They're working with Mayo Clinic on tools to help patients manage chronic pain and quit smoking. These avatars can read facial expressions and body language to respond more naturally.

But experts caution that such tools may work best for healthier, proactive patients. "The sickest patients consume the most care," says UC Davis researcher Roschelle Fritz. "We need to think carefully about how well AI actually serves them."