The Nursing Profession: Implications for AI and Natural Language Processing

Devices which utilise the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) such as robotic technology are included increasingly in nursing and health environments. In accordance with these developments this paper will highlight issues for natural language processing that arise from the contexts of nursing practice with specific emphasis on the way nurses think and talk about holistic care, nursing language and the challenges of communication in highly unpredictable nursing practice environments. It is noted that the practice and language of caring sciences such as nursing must be understood in terms of their emphasis on holism and therefore on the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of communicating with people. This emphasis presents important challenges to researchers of natural language processing as interaction and communication in the caring sciences includes a significant amount of interpersonal insight which is informed in part by sensitivity, feelings and emotion. These subjective elements are part of human relations and this paper will close with a discussion on the potential for qualitative research methodologies to join with quantitative methods to contribute to research design and outcomes.