What is this nursing talk about?
This episode explores how nursing is evolving in a digital and AI-driven healthcare landscape. It looks at the human impact of nursing, the scale at which nurses can now influence patient care, and the skills young people need to succeed in health and life sciences careers.
The conversation highlights how technology is expanding the reach of care – while reinforcing that empathy, judgement and compassion remain central to the profession.
Who are Jaylene and Dennis Osena?
Jaylene and Dennis Osena are board-certified family nurse practitioners practising in Scottsdale, Arizona and parents of two teenagers at ISP School Rancho Solano. They have extensive experience in traditional healthcare settings and have since expanded into the wellness space. They speak from both clinical and entrepreneurial perspectives.
What first drew them to nursing?
Jaylene was inspired by her family, as most of her relatives were nurses. Growing up surrounded by stories of patient care and life-changing moments shaped her desire to follow the same path.
Dennis realised nursing was his calling when he began working in oncology. It was not the technical skills that stood out most, but the opportunity to sit with patients and hear their stories. That human connection confirmed his commitment to the profession.
How is the healthcare sector changing?
Healthcare has shifted significantly, particularly since the COVID pandemic. Nursing has traditionally been centred around face-to-face, bedside care and compassionate touch. However, virtual consultations, digital tools and AI are now playing a major role in how care is delivered.
Technology is reshaping how nurses practise, while patient-centred care remains foundational.
What impact has AI and digital technology had on nursing?
AI has introduced powerful tools for documentation, regulatory compliance and access to collective medical knowledge. It saves time and increases efficiency.
However, there is concern that over-reliance on AI may reduce deep independent critical thinking. While technology supports healthcare professionals, the compassionate human connection cannot be replaced by a screen.
What skills will future nurses need?
The key skills highlighted include:
- Open communication
- Empathy
- Trust-building
- Critical thinking
- Agility and the ability to move quickly between tasks
Nurses must combine technical competence with strong interpersonal skills.
How are nursing roles expanding beyond hospitals?
Nursing is increasingly moving into wellness and preventative care. With access to information through AI and the internet, patients are more informed than ever. Nurses are positioned to guide individuals not only in treating illness but in improving overall health and longevity.
What opportunities exist for nurses beyond traditional clinical roles?
Nursing offers significant flexibility. Nurses can specialise in various medical areas such as cardiovascular care, paediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine and intensive care. They can also move into legal consulting, marketing, education, community health or entrepreneurship. The profession allows for adaptability across multiple sectors.
What excites the speakers about the future of nursing?
The speakers describe the future as bright. Before digital tools, nurses could only impact the limited number of patients seen in a day. Now, AI and technology allow nurses to extend their impact on a much larger scale. Healthcare is shifting from a “sick-care” model toward proactive wellness and prevention.
Healthcare is shifting from a “sick-care” model toward proactive wellness and prevention.
What advice do they give to parents preparing children for a changing world of work?
They emphasise the importance of lifelong learning. As technology evolves, skills will continue to change. Encouraging children to develop problem-solving abilities and adaptability will prepare them for any field.
Parents are also reminded that children observe resilience. Modelling perseverance, even during failure, helps children develop strength and independence
How does being part of the ISP community influence their view of education?
They believe ISP schools provide strong preparation through structured problem-solving, real-world exposure and professional engagement. Secondary education is seen as critical preparation for future pathways.
What brings them joy in their profession?
Their greatest joy comes from impacting lives – not only treating illness but supporting long- term wellness. Seeing solutions work and helping patients transform their health brings daily fulfilment.
Additional FAQs linked to the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
Why is nursing projected to grow in the coming years?
The World Economic Forum (WEF) “The Future of Jobs Report 2025”, identifies nursing professionals as one of the roles expected to see projected growth, driven in part by demographic shifts such as ageing populations and declining working-age populations. This positions nursing as both socially essential and economically resilient in the global labour market.
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, discussion of projected growth roles including nursing professionals (p. 26).
Will nurses be replaced by AI and automation?
The report shows that by 2030, work tasks are expected to be almost evenly split between humans, technology, and human–machine collaboration. However, in the Medical and Healthcare Services sector, nearly half of the reduction in tasks performed by humans alone is expected to come from increased augmentation and human–machine collaboration rather than pure automation.
This suggests that technology in healthcare is projected to support and enhance nurses’ work, rather than replace it.
Sources: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 2.7 (The shifting human–machine frontier), p. 26. World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 2.9 (Sector comparison: Medical and Healthcare Services), p. 28.
What skills will be most important for future nurses?
According to the WEF, the top core skills for 2025 include analytical thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, and leadership and social influence. Creative thinking, motivation and self-awareness, and technological literacy also rank highly.
For nursing, this reinforces the importance of clinical reasoning, emotional resilience, communication, adaptability and comfort with evolving digital systems.
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 3.3 (Core skills in 2025), p. 35.
How important will AI literacy be for healthcare professionals?
The report identifies AI and big data as the fastest-growing skills across nearly all sectors. Technological literacy is also projected to increase significantly in importance by 2030.
For healthcare professionals, this means confidence in using digital tools, health data systems, AI-enabled diagnostics and decision-support technologies will become increasingly important.
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Skill evolution (pp. 36–38).
How much will core skills change over the next five years?
The WEF reports that 44% of workers’ core skills are expected to change within the next five years. This underlines the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability in professions such as nursing, where clinical practice, technology and care models continue to evolve.
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 3.1 (Disruptions to skills), p. 33.
How are healthcare organisations responding to AI?
In the Medical and Healthcare Services sector, a large majority of organisations are running AI programmes and plan to prioritise reskilling and upskilling their existing workforce to work alongside AI systems.
This reinforces that the future of nursing is not about replacement, but about partnership with technology.
Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Industry Profile – Medical and Healthcare Services, p. 267.
