Nurses warn Trump's AI order threatens patient safety and care quality

Trump Administration's AI Executive Order Raises Concerns Among Nurses

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the United States, has voiced strong concerns regarding a new executive order from the Trump administration. The directive, which aims to challenge state laws regulating artificial intelligence (AI), has sparked fears about the potential risks to patient health and safety. The order calls for the Justice Department to establish an "AI Litigation Task Force" to challenge state-level AI regulations in court.

NNU President Mary Turner, RN, expressed the union's apprehensions, stating, “Patients are already becoming the unwitting guinea pigs of scientifically unproven and unregulated A.I. that they often do not even realize is being used in decisions about their care, without their consent.” Turner emphasized the need for strong regulations, opposing what she described as a "dangerous rush" towards unchecked AI deployment.

According to the nurses, hospital administrators have increasingly turned to AI and other technological solutions to discharge patients early, substituting comprehensive nursing care with remote monitoring systems managed by centralized "command centers." The NNU argues that this trend is driven by a desire to increase hospital profitability. Moreover, the Trump administration's approach allows technologies for remote patient monitoring to circumvent the typically stringent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. The FDA has indicated a willingness to waive regulations designed to safeguard patients, upon manufacturer request.

Turner questioned the administration's priorities, stating, “We cannot trust an administration that will allow technology that has zero evidence of being safe, therapeutic, effective, or even humane — to bypass FDA regulations, just so our employers can pad their bottom line.” She urged for AI technologies to undergo rigorous testing akin to other medical innovations, criticizing the federal government for prioritizing corporate profits over patient safety.

The NNU also raised issues regarding David Sacks, a venture capitalist appointed as an advisor on the executive order, labeling him as Trump's “A.I. czar.” Nurses are concerned about Sacks's dual role as a government employee and a private sector investor, interpreting this as a sign that the administration's primary focus is profit, rather than enhancing patient care.

In response, NNU calls on states to resist the litigation threats posed by the Trump administration's A.I. litigation task force. Turner stated, “The hospital and tech industry have failed to show that A.I. can either complement nurses’ bedside skills or improve the quality of care for our patients.” She further warned against attempts to diminish the role of nurses in favor of technologies that might compromise essential in-person patient care.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, representing over 225,000 members nationwide. Affiliates include the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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