Will AI replace nurses?

What AI changes in the job, task by task

What is written and explained is somewhat more exposed: research on nursing practice (a score of 0.46 out of 1), answering patients' and families' questions (0.37), health education (0.36). Hands-on care is far below: relieving pain (0.12), administering treatments (0.11), cleaning and dressing wounds (0.06), one of the least exposed tasks in the entire index.

• Very low
• Low
• Exposed
• Highly exposed

• Conducting research on nursing practices and procedures and disseminating findings such as through scientific papers and reports

  Low

• Answering questions from patients and families and providing information about prevention of ill-health, treatment and care

  Low

• Planning and participating in health education programmes, health promotion and nurse education activities in clinical and community settings

  Low

• Developing and implementing care plans for the biological, social and psychological treatment of patients in collaboration with other health professionals

  Low

• Coordinating the care of patients in consultation with other health professionals and members of health teams

  Low

• Supervising and coordinating the work of other nursing, health and personal care workers

  Low

• Planning, providing and evaluating nursing care for patients according to the practice and standards of modern nursing

  Very low

• Monitoring pain and discomfort experienced by patients and alleviating pain using a variety of therapies, including the use of painkilling drugs

  Very low

• Planning and providing personal care, treatments and therapies including administering medications, and monitoring responses to treatment or care plan

  Very low

• Cleaning wounds and applying surgical dressings and bandages

  Very low

Source: ILO, Generative AI and Jobs, Working Paper 140, 2025.