Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday healthcare, and its long-term success will depend on the professionals using it most.
Incredible Health, a Black-led healthtech company that operates one of the nation’s largest AI-powered career marketplaces for permanent healthcare professionals, recently published its 2026 State of Nursing Report.
The company was previously featured for becoming one of the few Black-led healthtech startups to reach a valuation exceeding $1 billion, as noted in this earlier article.
Based on a national survey of 2,240 U.S. nurses and platform data from 1.5 million healthcare professionals, the report offers one of the most comprehensive looks at how the nursing workforce is adopting artificial intelligence.
According to the report, 44% of nurses now use AI at work, nearly triple the 15% who reported using it just one year earlier. That rapid rise suggests nurses are incorporating AI into clinical workflows faster than many healthcare organizations are developing strategies to support its use.
Nurses Are Already Putting AI to Work
Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from experimentation to routine use for many nurses. The report found that 44% now use AI in their work, and 86% of those users say they are satisfied with the experience.
The technology is being applied to practical tasks that consume valuable time throughout the workday. Documentation and charting rank among the most common uses, followed by patient education, clinical and drug reference searches, drafting communications, and career development. These uses show AI supporting existing workflows while freeing up time for patient care.
The findings also suggest that familiarity builds confidence. Nurses who regularly use AI report fewer concerns about the technology replacing their jobs than those with little or no experience. As adoption increases, the conversation is shifting toward how healthcare organizations can integrate AI responsibly and effectively.
Healthcare Organizations Are Playing Catch-Up
While nurses are rapidly adopting AI, many healthcare organizations have yet to establish the governance needed to support its use.
Only 8% of nurses said their employer had communicated a clear AI strategy for their role. Even among organizations where AI tools were already available, only 17% believed that strategy had been clearly defined. One in five nurses reported that AI tools were introduced without any explanation of how they should be incorporated into clinical practice.
Training presents another significant gap. Nearly half of nurses reported receiving no AI training during the past year despite increasing access to AI-powered tools. The report also found that nurses are rarely involved in selecting the technologies they ultimately use, even though those who participate in the selection process are more likely to trust and adopt AI in their daily work.
The findings point to an implementation gap. Healthcare organizations are investing in AI, but communication, governance, workforce engagement, and education will determine whether those investments translate into meaningful operational improvements.
Training Will Determine AI’s Return
Adoption alone does not guarantee better outcomes.
Nearly half of nurses using AI reported saving little or no time during their most recent use of the technology. That suggests access to AI tools, by itself, does not automatically improve efficiency or productivity.
Training appears to be one of the strongest predictors of success. Nurses who received AI education were substantially more likely to report meaningful time savings than those who received no training. Regular users also expressed greater confidence in AI-generated outputs and lower levels of concern about the technology’s long-term impact on the profession.
For healthcare leaders, the report offers a clear takeaway. AI implementation should be treated as both a technology initiative and a workforce initiative.
Organizations that establish clear strategies, invest in training, and involve frontline clinicians in implementation decisions will be better positioned to improve productivity while supporting the professionals delivering patient care every day.
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