Forty-one percent of nurses report using AI regularly, compared to 57% of physicians, and of those who use AI, only 30% regularly use clinician-specific tools, a May 12 Elsevier report found.
Elsevier’s “Clinician of the Future 2026” report gathered responses from 2,757 clinicians, including physicians and nurses, across 118 countries.
Here are six key findings:
1. Among nurses, 41% said their views are rarely or never reflected in AI decision-making; however, only 19% of physicians said they felt that nurses’ views were not reflected by the technology.
2. Forty-nine percent of nurses use AI at work — up 23 percentage points from 2024 — but only a third of nurses regularly use clinical-specific tools. Clinicians reported relying on publicly available, general AI tools when clinical-specific tools are not available.
3. Most respondents (80%) said AI will become a critical assistant in the next decade, and 79% believe AI skills will be essential for clinician training.
4. Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported insufficient AI training, and 60% said they lack confidence in AI governance and oversight.
5. Despite using AI less than physicians, nurses expressed stronger belief that AI will improve care quality (61%), patient outcomes (59%) and enhance their autonomy (46%).
6. Among nurses, 55% said they believe AI will save them time, compared to 70% of physicians.
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