Will AI replace Nurse Practitioners?
AI can do 63% of the work Nurse Practitioners do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 2 of their 27 tasks, while 13 more are ready but barely used so far. 12 still need a person.
AI is already doing this2 · 12% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.Mostly automated11% of time
- Provide patients or caregivers with assistance in locating health care resources.Mostly automated1% of time
AI could do this next13 · 51% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.17% of time
- Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays).6% of time
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.6% of time
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.4% of time
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.4% of time
- Counsel patients about drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other substances, such as food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or herbal remedies.2% of time
- Consult with, or refer patients to, appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.2% of time
- Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy.2% of time
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.2% of time
- Schedule follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care.1% of time
- Keep abreast of regulatory processes and payer systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and private sources.1% of time
- Maintain current knowledge of state legal regulations for nurse practitioner practice, including reimbursement of services.1% of time
- Maintain departmental policies and procedures in areas such as safety and infection control.1% of time
Still needs a person12 · 37% 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.
- Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.7% of time
- Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries.6% of time
- Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.4% of time
- Treat or refer patients for primary care conditions, such as headaches, hypertension, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and dermatological conditions.4% of time
- Perform routine or annual physical examinations.4% of time
- Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds.2% of time
- Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.2% of time
- Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.2% of time
- Supervise or coordinate patient care or support staff activities.2% of time
- Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.1% of time
- Recommend interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks.1% of time
- Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks.under 1% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
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 11 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
- Do the 2 tasks AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
- Get ahead on the 13 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Build on the 12 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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