AORN offers 3 ways perioperative nurses can use AI

AORN has released new guidance on how perioperative nurses can integrate artificial intelligence into clinical practice without losing sight of patient safety and clinical judgment. The recommendations come as AI tools spread through documentation, monitoring and OR workflows.

Why it matters: - AI is becoming embedded in perioperative care through electronic health records, ambient documentation tools and clinical decision support. - Perioperative nurses are positioned to shape how these tools are used in real workflows, including safety checks and patient advocacy. - The guidance aims to help nurses adopt AI thoughtfully rather than treat it as a substitute for clinical expertise.

What happened: - AORN, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, released practical guidance for perioperative nurses on integrating artificial intelligence into clinical practice. - Zach Swartz, MHI, BSN, RN, EBP-C, CNOR, a perioperative practice specialist, authored the new AORN Guideline for Integration of Artificial Intelligence. - AORN outlined three recommended practices for nurses: build curiosity and ongoing education, maintain healthy skepticism, and engage early with interdisciplinary teams evaluating AI tools.

The details: - The first recommendation calls for ongoing learning about how AI is used in documentation, scheduling and clinical decision support. - The second recommendation tells nurses to treat AI as a support tool, not a replacement for clinical judgment. - The third recommendation encourages early involvement with interdisciplinary teams that are evaluating or implementing new AI technologies. - AI applications are expanding across perioperative care, including predictive analytics in anesthesia machines for physiologic monitoring. - Instrument tracking systems are using computer vision to improve accuracy in counts and sterile processing workflows. - AI-driven imaging and intraoperative guidance algorithms are identifying patterns, highlighting anatomical structures and flagging potential risks in real time. - AI-connected OR ecosystems are integrating data across multiple devices to support situational awareness. - AORN says the full evidence base for integrating AI into perioperative practice is available in the new guideline.

Between the lines: - The guidance reflects a push to normalize AI in surgery without surrendering human oversight. - The emphasis on skepticism and early team involvement suggests AORN wants nurses to influence vendor adoption and workflow design before tools become deeply embedded. - The broad list of use cases shows AI is no longer limited to administration and is moving into core clinical and intraoperative functions.

What's next: - Perioperative nurses are expected to use the guideline as a framework for evaluating AI tools already present in their settings and for assessing new systems under consideration. - The broader rollout of AI across perioperative environments will likely increase the need for nurse education, governance and interdisciplinary review.

The bottom line: - AORN is drawing a line: adopt AI, but do it with training, scrutiny and nurse-led clinical judgment.