Florida State University recently launched the Nursing and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium
By Hunter Boyce – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Artificial intelligence isn’t just creeping into the health care workspace; it’s also entering the classroom. Florida State University has launched the Nursing and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium, and it’s bringing a first-of-its kind nursing degree along with it.
FSU said the consortium would take charge of the school’s new course, the “nation’s first master’s nursing program on AI in health care.” The consortium will be helmed by Rebecca Love, founder of the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders. Perhaps best known for becoming the first nurse to ever deliver a TED Talk, Love will be operating FSU’s new program as a visiting professor and entrepreneur-in-residence.
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“AI and digital health are rapidly growing areas, and we are leading the nation in it,” consortium co-director and digital health researcher Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman told FSU in a news release. “Rebecca’s first-hand experience will provide our students with real-world scenarios and shine a spotlight on potential partnerships within the industry. I’m excited to see what we will achieve together.”
The master’s program is dedicated to preparing nurses for leadership roles in health care technology, but also aims to improve nursing on a technological level.
“This new initiative will fill the gaps in AI and nursing by creating a nurse-driven, research-backed and industry-supported AI solution designed to enhance nursing practice and patient care in a real-world setting,” Love told FSU.
Some health care experts have urged nurses to embrace AI in the workplace, and the best nursing school in the country has already put AI into practice. Emory University launched the Empathic AI for Health Institute in 2023, with the top-ranked U.S. nurse educator calling it the “future of health care.”
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But now FSU plans to put itself on the cutting edge of nurse education and AI in health care, all with Love at the forefront.
“Rebecca is very familiar with being the first at many things,” FSU College of Nursing dean Jing Wang told the school. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with our students, the community, and ultimately, the nation.”
