Will AI replace Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?

AI can do 63% of the work Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 9 of them. Robots can technically handle 4 physical tasks. 9 still need a person.

AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.

AI could do this next9 · 63% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.21% of time
  • Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.15% of time
  • Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.8% of time
  • Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.5% of time
  • Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.4% of time
  • Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures.4% of time
  • Make appointments, keep records, or perform other clerical duties in doctors' offices or clinics.3% of time
  • Record food and fluid intake and output.1% of time
  • Prepare or examine food trays for conformance to prescribed diet.1% of time

Robots can technically do this4 · 7% of time

Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.

  • Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Inventory and requisition supplies and instruments.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person9 · 30% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.10% of time
  • Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.5% of time
  • Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.4% of time
  • Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.4% of time
  • Provide medical treatment or personal care to patients in private home settings, such as cooking, keeping rooms orderly, seeing that patients are comfortable and in good spirits, or instructing family members in simple nursing tasks.3% of time
  • Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers.1% of time
  • Clean rooms and make beds.1% of time
  • Set up equipment and prepare medical treatment rooms.1% of time
  • Wash and dress bodies of deceased persons.under 1% of time

Your week is not the average

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What this means

AI can do most of this work faster, but a real part of the job still needs a person. Real use is still behind at 0 out of 100, so the change here is only getting started. The people who learn which tasks to hand off will pull ahead.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 9 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Keep an eye on the 4 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 9 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Medical Dosimetrists62%Pharmacy Technicians68%Cytotechnologists56%Psychiatric Technicians55%Paramedics54%Radiologic Technologists and Technicians49%

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