Nursing boom grows as AI reshapes workforce and healthcare demand rises
A growing number of Americans are turning to nursing as demand for healthcare workers surges and other industries face disruption from artificial intelligence.
(NBC)- At Columbia University School of Nursing, students are training through high-intensity emergency simulations—preparing for real-life scenarios involving trauma, chaos and critical decision-making.
“We have folks coming in from law, from the food industry, from business, from finance,” said assistant dean Natalya Pasklinsky, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of students entering the field.
The boom comes as the U.S. Department of Labor reports healthcare as the largest source of job growth in the country, even as other sectors shrink in part due to automation and AI.
Experts say nursing remains difficult to replace with technology.
“I don’t think that AI can pick up on the minute nuances that may happen in human emotion… that one-on-one empathy,” Pasklinsky said.
With an aging population driving demand, the profession is being called a reliable path to economic stability. Nurses earn median wages significantly higher than many other occupations, with opportunities for advancement and specialization.
Students like Dasha Efremov say flexibility is a major draw.
“I wanted to be able to pivot at any point,” she said. “You don’t have to be married to the exact specialty that you start off in.”
Efremov, already experienced as a bedside nurse, is now working toward becoming a nurse practitioner—expanding her ability to diagnose patients and prescribe treatments.
Still, the profession comes with challenges, including long hours, physical strain and emotional stress. Staffing shortages have also been a concern, highlighted by labor actions such as recent healthcare worker strikes in New York City.
Despite the demands, many nurses say the work is deeply rewarding.
“It’s definitely exhausting at times… but the positive patient outcomes make it all worth it,” one student said.
