Application Status, Research Hotspots, and Future Prospects of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing in China

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of digital healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a core driver of innovation in the nursing profession. Drawing on research findings related to AI applications in nursing in China over the past two decades, this study systematically synthesizes the current state of application, identifies research hotspots, analyzes existing challenges, and outlines future development directions. By integrating literature from databases including CNKI and Wanfang, as well as typical practical cases, it is revealed that AI has been applied across four core nursing scenarios: nursing education, clinical nursing, nursing management, and geriatric nursing. Key research hotspots have been formed, centered on "smart nursing equipment", "intelligent decision support", and "virtual simulation teaching". However, the field still confronts issues such as inadequate algorithm fairness, lagging digital literacy among nursing staff, and a lack of ethical norms. Moving forward, focus should be directed toward cutting-edge technologies like generative AI and digital twins, while strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and ethical governance. This will facilitate the in-depth integration of AI and nursing, thereby advancing the high-quality development of the nursing profession.