AI can’t replace nurses’ compassion, says NMCN registrar

TRegistrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr Ndagi Alhassan, has warned nurses against relying too heavily on Artificial Intelligence in nursing practice.

He explained that excessive reliance on AI could undermine critical thinking and clinical judgement among nurses.

Alhassan made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Undergraduate Nursing Research Challenge and Summit organised by the Golden Lamp Leadership Initiative Africa at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The NMCN registrar, who spoke on the theme ‘Minds and Machines: The New Frontier of Academic Research’, insisted that technology must never replace the human compassion at the heart of patient care.

“Any algorithm can calculate, but it cannot care,” Alhassan said.

Recounting how a 31-day hospitalisation for burns in 1972 influenced his decision to pursue nursing, he reminded students that the profession is fundamentally about service and compassion.

“The frontier is open. It does not belong to the machines. It belongs to the minds that will lead them,” he said, urging the students to “carry the lamp forward.”

He urged nursing students to embrace technological innovation without compromising their professional judgement and ethical responsibilities.

He explained that although AI could analyse data, identify patterns and suggest interventions, it could not replace a nurse’s ability to recognise subtle changes in a patient’s condition and respond with sound clinical judgement and empathy.

Using the example of a nurse who notices a patient deteriorating despite normal monitor readings, Alhassan said human observation and prompt intervention could make the difference between life and death.

“Research begins when a nurse observes something and refuses to look away,” he said.

He warned that AI systems could generate fabricated academic references and misleading information, urging students to verify AI-generated content before using it in research.

He also advocated for locally relevant African research data to address biases in systems trained on information that might not reflect the continent’s healthcare realities.

On patient confidentiality, he cautioned nurses against uploading identifiable medical information to AI platforms without appropriate safeguards.

“When in doubt, do not upload,” he said, adding that the council would not tolerate plagiarism, fabricated research findings, or unethical use of AI.

Alhassan urged students to focus their research on practical healthcare problems, verify information, protect patient data, disclose AI use transparently, and publish their findings.

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He also advocated intergenerational leadership, encouraging experienced professionals to create opportunities for younger nurses to contribute fresh ideas and technological expertise.

The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Myqura, Abiola Ayilara, urged Nigerian nurses to develop healthcare technologies that address local challenges rather than remain passive users of imported solutions.

She said nurses’ close contact with patients positioned them to identify gaps in care and lead innovation, stressing that AI should support, not replace, clinical judgement and human compassion.

“Nurses should be the ones creating the solutions for patients,” she said, urging students to turn clinical challenges into research questions and develop solutions suited to African realities.

Similarly, Chairman of the NMCN, Dr Alice Ogundele, urged nurses to publish their research findings to improve clinical practice and healthcare policy.

She cautioned students against research shortcuts, stressing the need to investigate practical healthcare challenges and produce findings that could improve patient care.

“If you don’t publish, it’s just as if you have done nothing,” she said, lamenting the low visibility of research conducted by Nigerian nurses.

The Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Prof. Prisca Adejumo, who represented the vice-chancellor, also urged nurses to embrace AI without sacrificing the compassion and human connection central to patient care.

She said emerging technologies should support clinical decisions, improve research and enhance healthcare delivery rather than diminish the human side of nursing.

Adejumo challenged participants to pursue rigorous research, question existing assumptions and build collaborations that would generate evidence for healthcare policy and practice.

“Together, we can shape a future in which technology amplifies, rather than diminishes, the heart of nursing,” she said.

Earlier, the CEO of Golden Lamp Leadership Initiative Africa, Oluyemisi Otitoloju, called for reforms in Nigeria’s nursing curriculum to strengthen research training and evidence-based practice.

She said the initiative had identified gaps in nursing education and engaged lecturers and the NMCN on possible improvements.

Otitoloju said the programme aimed to make research more practical and engaging, noting that many students considered it too theoretical.

She urged experienced nurses to mentor younger colleagues and encouraged students to embrace research and inspire others.