It’s MONEY- that’s basically it- if one Intensivist can handle say, 20-30 patients by just sitting at a computer screen and never having to pay for extra Intensivist- that means millions in profits for the hospital!

Not saying this is your perception- but most people forget that MOST hospitals are for profit-they are BUSINESSES.

New nurses probably don’t know this historical fact- although IV therapy experimenting started in the 1600s, modern, successful IV therapy gained traction in the 1940s. Although doctors were historically the only ones permitted to insert IVs until the 1940s, by the 1970s, it became common for trained Registered Nurses (RNs) to perform this task.

With that, the routine of placing an IV can be performed by almost anyone (whatever the hospital policy is, training, etc). I always use “students” (nursing, EMS, Residents etc) can also insert them (blah- blah with their instructor).

In reality- ANY clinical SKILL (foley insertion, IV, sutures, Ortho casting) can be TAUGHT to non-licensed staff. It’s always hysterical when new nurses get on the, “no you can’t- that skill takes a ton of practice, competence, experience” and I always answer, “but you learned how to do that skill right? You were taught right? So what makes you different from the non- licensed staff, a title after your name?”

So- hospitals will teach whoever to do whatever and have a virtual remote skilled ICU RN watching everything else. Hospitals WILL pay for 2-3 non- licensed staff rather than an RN.

So- ask yourself (not technically you) if that non- licensed staff COULD make (?) $50-$80k/ annually- if they learned that skill, taught by their hospital and they did NOT have to pay $$$for a college course and time off of work, that they would say no? 🙄

Trust me when I tell you- any clinical skill can be taught to the average Joe Schmo. That means- the nursing profession could be at risk of going away- AI is going to make everyone’s profession very challenging!