AI Assistants Offset Nursing Workload

THE ONGOING national nursing shortage continues to strain hospitals and healthcare facilities. While the United States saw a one percent increase in supply of registered nurses (RNs) between 2022 and 2025, demand has nevertheless outpaced supply. In fact, the need for RNs increased by three percent over the course of those same three years.¹ Baby boomers continue to age, increasing their need for healthcare interventions; burnout drives nurses away; and nursing schools are struggling to keep up with the demand for educating new nurses. According to Health Workforce Analysis, federal authorities project a shortage of 78,610 full-time RNs in 2025 and a shortage of 63,720 RNs by 2030.² The gap between care needed and care available is getting wider. There’s no question: Nurses need help.

Enter artificial intelligence (AI). AI is taking the healthcare industry by storm, creating new opportunities for offsetting the nursing squeeze and improving patient care at the same time. Designed to work with RNs, these AI-powered robots support clinical work by completing essential non-patient-facing tasks that so often get in the way of providing patient-focused care. According to a recent study, at least 10 percent of a nurse’s shift is spent on delegable and non-nursing activities such as gathering medical supplies, delivering lab samples, retrieving medications, etc.³ Increasingly, AI-powered robots are able to lighten RN workload. Here are two stand-out examples of what these innovative clinical helpers can do.

Moxi Robot Assistant

Diligent Robotics is changing the way robotic assistants interact with and provide assistance to human healthcare workers. Moxi works in hospitals, helping clinical staff do more work in less time. Routine activities such as transporting patient supplies, delivering lab samples, fetching items from central supply locations, distributing personal protective equipment and delivering medications are completed 24/7 with automation and ease. Moxi responds to human calls, autonomously executes point-to-point deliveries and can navigate entire buildings, not just one department floor. As a semi-humanoid robot with expressive eyes and a robotic arm, it is a friendly and functional addition to the clinical team. It can operate elevators and open doors; won’t bump into people or objects in hallways; can grab, pull and open and guide objects on its own. Moxi detects people and navigates around them and other obstacles. As it works, it learns: The more a staff uses Moxi, the more Moxi learns about and adapts to a facility’s environment and processes. According to the company, Moxi gives time back to employees, supports current nursing staff and helps lower nurse turnover rate. The best part? Implementation takes weeks, not months. For more information, or to book a demo, visit www.diligentrobots.com/moxi.

Aethon Hospital Robots

From medicine and meals to linens and labs — there’s always something on the move in hospitals. Transporting things from one place to another takes time and energy away from clinicians whose time is better spent on patient care. Enter Aethon, a robotics company with a vision to integrate autonomous robots into healthcare settings. Aethon hospital robots are mobile delivery solutions that transform the way hospital work is done. Automated routine logistics and delivery tasks empower the clinical team and support staff, giving them more time to spend on patient care. Robots support laboratory and pharmacy deliveries; help manage waste removal; provide cost-effective options for meal delivery; and deliver linens and supplies when and where they are needed. And, robots interact with doors and elevators on their own. With robust 24/7 technical support, project management and repair and maintenance services, Aethon hospital robots are more than a technological solution: They are an integral part of the healthcare team. For more information, visit aethon.com/hospital-robots-healthcare.