When AI Screens Out Care: How Applicant Tracking Systems Undermine Equitable Hiring in Nursing

April 07, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

The Problem with Tech in Hiring

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software—now commonly enhanced with artificial intelligence—was designed to streamline hiring. In nursing, where workforce shortages are real and urgent, that efficiency sounds like a win. But there’s a harder truth: these systems can quietly reinforce inequities and filter out strong, qualified nurse candidates before a human ever reviews their application.

ATS platforms prioritize keyword matching, formatting, and predictive ranking. That means candidates who don’t “speak the algorithm’s language” are less likely to move forward—even if they are clinically excellent. New graduates, internationally educated nurses, first-generation college graduates, and people of color, among other candidate groups with diverse backgrounds, can be especially vulnerable. Their experience may be rich, but if it’s not translated into the exact phrasing the system expects, it can be overlooked.

AI integrations add another layer of concern. These tools are often trained on historical hiring data, which can reflect longstanding biases in healthcare. If past hiring favored certain schools, career paths, or demographics, AI can unintentionally replicate those patterns at scale—under the guise of objectivity.

Digital Literacy

There’s also a digital literacy gap. Not every nurse has equal access to coaching on ATS optimization, professional resume writing, or LinkedIn strategies. Nurses working multiple jobs, those from under-resourced backgrounds, or those re-entering the workforce may be disproportionately disadvantaged by systems that reward polish over potential.

The Impact

The result? A hiring process that can exclude diverse talent at the front door - before interviews, before skills assessments, before human connection.

What is the solution?

Healthcare organizations have a responsibility to examine this. Equitable hiring isn’t just about intention; it’s about process. That means auditing ATS tools for bias, reevaluating rigid keyword filters, incorporating human review earlier in the process, and educating applicants on how to navigate these systems.

Because in a profession built on advocacy and equity, our hiring practices should reflect the same values.

New Thing Nurse is addressing the problem.

Sarah K. Wells, the founder of New Thing Nurse, is serving as a 2026 ANA-California Advocacy Institute Fellow, focusing on AI and equitable staffing. Working with Dr. Adrienne McIntyre and Dr. Sotera Delos Santos, Sarah is conducting a survey that explores how AI tools are used in hiring, staffing, scheduling, and patient assignment decisions across healthcare organizations. Insights will help inform policy recommendations that support responsible AI use, strengthen nursing oversight, and promote equitable workforce practices.

Take the AI and equitable nurse staffing survey here.

Sarah and her colleagues are working to contribute to a framework and policy recommendations that address the use of AI in equitable staffing models, grounded in organizational justice and fairness, and will ultimately co-host a panel discussion with nursing and healthcare leaders to share insights and facilitate conversation on equitable staffing models supported by AI in late 2026.

About the Author: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an experienced nurse career strategist dedicated to helping nurses and nurse practitioners of all experience levels and specialties achieve success in their nursing and NP journeys. Sarah founded New Thing Nurse to help provide support and guidance to the nursing community in a simple and direct format. Sarah’s vision is to foster a more supportive and fulfilled nursing world that spreads throughout healthcare and beyond.

Sarah is serving as a 2026 Advocacy Fellow with ANA-California, focusing on AI and equitable nurse staffing. Learn more about the 2026 ANA-California Advocacy Fellowships.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

AI & Nursing: What Nurse Leaders Are Learning Now

March 17, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from a concept discussed in innovation labs to a technology that nurses are encountering in everyday practice. I recently attended the 2nd Annual Nurse Leader’s Summit hosted by ICD Events and ANA-California in La Jolla, California. During nursing leadership discussions and roundtables, one theme was clear: AI is already shaping healthcare, but many organizations—and many nurses—are still figuring out how to use it safely, effectively, and responsibly.

AI Is Already in the Workflow

In many healthcare settings, AI is quietly embedded in existing tools. Ambient documentation systems can listen to clinical conversations and generate notes, predictive analytics can detect patient deterioration earlier, and AI-enabled systems can help analyze staffing needs or chart audits.

These tools have the potential to dramatically reduce administrative burden. Nurses currently spend a significant portion of their shifts documenting care rather than delivering it. AI documentation tools may reduce charting time, allowing nurses to spend more time with patients and families.

AI is also emerging in operational areas such as staffing, scheduling, and workforce planning. Data-driven scheduling tools may help reduce bias, balance workloads, and predict staffing needs based on patient acuity and demand. However, as Dr. Katie Boston-Leary shared, important strategies to support appropriate staffing must be integrated into any AI technology used to support staffing. These include reforming the work environment, valuing the unique contributions of nurses, innovating models of care, improving regulatory efficiency, and establishing staffing standards that ensure quality care.

Competencies for the AI Era

Despite these opportunities, many organizations acknowledge a gap in AI competencies among nurses and nurse leaders. One of the biggest challenges is that many professionals “don’t know what they don’t know” about AI.

Building AI readiness requires structured education and competency development. Key skills for nurses may include:

Understanding how AI systems generate recommendations
Evaluating whether AI outputs are accurate and clinically appropriate
Recognizing bias and data limitations
Protecting patient privacy and maintaining HIPAA compliance
Knowing when AI should not be used

One organization supporting nurses in leading the way with AI is Nurses for AI. Co-founded by Dr. Susan Deane and Dr. Irina Koyfman, Nurses for AI is committed to:

Nurse-led perspectives
Ethical leadership in AI
Transparency and responsible use
Collaboration over competition
Keeping the human at the center of innovation

Meanwhile, some healthcare organizations are beginning to incorporate AI education into simulation, competency frameworks, and just-in-time learning methods such as shift huddles, newsletters, and brief training modules.

Governance, Safety, and Accountability

Another consistent theme across discussions was the need for clear governance structures. Many institutions currently lack formal AI policies, even as AI tools are being introduced into clinical workflows.

Responsible AI implementation requires leadership oversight and structured frameworks that address:

Tool selection and validation
Risk and bias assessment
Data privacy and security
Ongoing monitoring of performance
Reporting systems for unsafe or inaccurate AI outputs

Importantly, clinicians remain responsible for the final clinical decision. AI may assist with documentation or recommendations, but accountability still rests with the licensed professional who signs the record.

Preserving the Human Side of Nursing

While AI promises efficiency, nurse leaders emphasized that the goal is not to replace nursing judgment. As Dr. Sharicca Miller emphasized in her talk, AI should augment clinical insight—not substitute for it.

Nursing remains a relational profession built on empathy, communication, and critical thinking. Many participants noted that the true opportunity of AI is not automation alone, but the possibility of returning time to the most meaningful parts of nursing: listening to patients, supporting families, and coordinating complex care.

The Road Ahead

AI adoption will likely look different across healthcare settings. Large health systems may invest in advanced predictive analytics, while smaller organizations may begin with modest tools for documentation or education.

What is clear, however, is that nursing must remain actively involved in shaping how AI is implemented. When nurses are included in governance, design, and evaluation of AI systems, these tools are far more likely to support safe care, equitable workflows, and sustainable nursing practice.

The future of AI in healthcare will not be defined solely by technology. It will be defined by how well nurses lead its integration.

Want to join the conversation about AI and nurse staffing?

Take the ANA-California Survey on how AI may be impacting nurse staffing at your facility.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

Sarah is serving as a 2026 Advocacy Fellow with ANA-California, focusing on AI and equitable nurse staffing. Learn more about the 2026 ANA-California Advocacy Fellowships.

AI & Nursing: Just the beginning

March 05, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of the healthcare landscape, and nursing is no exception. While the idea of AI may feel futuristic, many nurses are already interacting with AI-powered tools in their daily work, often without realizing it. From clinical decision support systems to predictive staffing models and ambient listening documentation tools, AI is beginning to shape how care is delivered and how nurses work.

At its best, AI may reduce the administrative burden that has long contributed to nurse burnout. Technologies such as digital scribes and smart documentation tools can assist with charting, allowing nurses to spend more time at the bedside and less time at the computer. AI can also analyze large datasets to identify patterns that may help predict patient deterioration, support triage decisions, or create efficient staffing plans.

However, the growing use of AI in healthcare also raises important questions for the nursing profession. Nurses must be involved in conversations about how these technologies are developed, implemented, and evaluated. Without nursing input, AI tools may fail to reflect the realities of clinical practice or the nuances of patient care.

There are also important considerations around transparency, bias, and equity. If AI systems are trained on incomplete or biased data, they may unintentionally reinforce existing disparities in healthcare. Nurses, as patient advocates, play a critical role in ensuring that technology supports equitable and ethical care.

AI will not replace nurses. Instead, it has the potential to become another tool that supports clinical judgment, strengthens workflows, and enhances patient care - if nurses help lead the way.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

Time to make a comment!

February 16, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) proposed changes to federal graduate student loan funding have raised alarms across higher education - and not just within nursing. While much of the conversation has focused on graduate nursing programs - such as those for nurse practitioners - the reality is that these funding limitations would affect a wide range of graduate disciplines, including social work, public health, education, counseling, and other non-healthcare professional fields.

For nursing, the implications are immediate. Advanced practice nurses are essential to addressing provider shortages, expanding primary care access, and strengthening healthcare systems. Reduced federal loan availability could discourage experienced and historically underrepresented nurses from pursuing graduate education, shrinking the future workforce of clinicians, educators, and leaders.

But the broader concern is structural: when financial barriers to graduate education increase, entire professions feel the impact. Communities rely on highly trained professionals across sectors - from healthcare to education to public service - and limiting access to advanced degrees risks worsening workforce shortages nationwide.

Submitting a public comment is one of the most meaningful advocacy actions professionals - anyone, not just nurses - can take right now:

Leave a comment on the DOE’s website by March 2, 2026

Policymakers need to understand that graduate education funding is not a niche issue; it is a workforce issue, an access issue, and ultimately a societal investment. When pathways to education narrow, the ripple effects extend far beyond a single profession. #strongertogether

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

I am mad at everything. What can I do about it.

January 30, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Even if you have only been minimally paying attention to current events, you may have noticed that a lot of nurses are mad.

I am one of them. I am really mad.

What can you do about it?

Well, in this case, other angry nurses have organized some opportunities for you to share your rage in the form of advocacy:

And there is the good old-fashioned approach:

Contact your elected officials in Congress

Have another way to funnel your rage? Let me know in the comments!

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

A FREE career resource?

January 19, 2026 by Sarah Wells

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Looking for a new job can be stressful. Get organized with New Thing Nurse!

Navigating a nurse job search can feel overwhelming, especially in this rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Whether you’re applying for your first nursing job, transitioning specialties, or pursuing a leadership or advanced practice position, having a clear and structured approach matters. This new resource, the Nurse Job Search Readiness Guide from New Thing Nurse, was created to help nursing professionals move through the job search and application process with confidence, clarity, and intention.

The checklist breaks the journey into practical phases, guiding nurses from role exploration and resume preparation to interviewing, offer evaluation, and onboarding. It also highlights the importance of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) compatible application materials, strategic networking, and thoughtful career reflection. Designed to be both practical and empowering, this resource supports nurses in showcasing their skills, leveraging their networks, and making informed career decisions. Whether you are actively applying or simply preparing for your next opportunity, this checklist helps you take control of your career path, one intentional step at a time.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing and NP community thrive in their careers! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

What does 2026 hold for nursing?

January 14, 2026 by Sarah Wells

New Thing Nurse has been quiet for a while, but now, we’re back - changing as the nursing community’s needs are shifting. #moretocome