Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

The occupation of "Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary" carries an automation risk of 39.8%, only slightly below the base risk of 40.5%. This indicates that while there are numerous tasks in this role that could potentially be automated, a significant portion of the work still requires uniquely human input and decision-making. The primary reason for this moderate automation risk lies in the complexity and interpersonal nature of the role, which combines both instructional duties and hands-on supervision within clinical environments. Unlike purely lecture-based teaching, instructing future nurses involves nuanced communication, adaptability to varied learning styles, and real-time assessment of both cognitive and practical skills. These factors collectively reduce the potential for full automation in this profession. Among the tasks within this occupation, the most susceptible to automation are those that follow routine and well-defined processes. The top three automatable tasks are: evaluating and grading students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers; supervising students' laboratory and clinical work; and initiating, facilitating, and moderating classroom discussions. With advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the grading of written assignments and practical assessments can be increasingly managed by automated systems. Furthermore, virtual simulation tools are emerging that can partially oversee laboratory and clinical activities, mimicking some aspects of human supervision. Classroom discussions may also be supported or moderated virtually, although the depth of engagement may not fully match that of an experienced educator. Conversely, several tasks remain particularly resistant to automation due to their reliance on creativity, professional judgment, and multi-faceted human interaction. The three most automation-resistant tasks for nursing instructors and teachers are: providing professional consulting services to government or industry; acting as advisers to student organizations; and writing grant proposals to procure external research funding. Each of these activities requires a high degree of originality (measured at 3.0% and 3.6% bottleneck skill levels), insight into current healthcare practices, and the ability to handle non-routine challenges. The skill of originality serves as a significant bottleneck to automation, as it involves generating new ideas, contextual problem-solving, and building professional connections – qualities that current AI technology cannot easily replicate.