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Artificial intelligence (AI) anxiety and nurses’ turnover intention during healthcare digital transformation: the mediating role of occupational fatigue

Background The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare is associated with new psychological challenges. However, the extent of its impact on nursing workforce stability is unclear. Aim To explore the relationship between AI anxiety and turnover intention of clinical nurses, and the mediating effect of occupational fatigue and the moderating effect of emotional intelligence (EI). Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to June 2026 among 404 clinical nurses from four ho…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-2197· cite & verify
Artificial intelligence (AI) anxiety and nurses’ turnover intention during healthcare digital transformation: the mediating role of occupational fatigue
USAID, USACE team up to renovate nursing school in Georgia (5138983389) by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District from Wiesbaden, Germany. Public domain

In brief

A cross-sectional survey of clinical nurses at four hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China, tested whether anxiety about AI in healthcare relates to nurses' wish to leave their jobs. Nurses who reported more AI anxiety also reported more occupational fatigue and higher turnover intention, and fatigue explained part of the link.

The results suggest that digital transformation in hospitals carries a human cost that could affect staffing if it is not managed. Because the design is correlational and a single survey, the findings show association rather than proof that AI causes nurses to quit, and actual departures were not measured.

Main points

  1. The sample was 404 clinical nurses from four hospitals in Jiangsu Province, surveyed from March to June 2026.
  2. AI anxiety was positively associated with occupational fatigue (β = 0.611) and with turnover intention (β = 0.530).
  3. Occupational fatigue partially mediated the AI anxiety–turnover link, with an indirect effect of 0.299.
  4. Emotional intelligence was linked to lower fatigue but did not significantly moderate the effect of AI anxiety on fatigue.

The problem

Among 404 clinical nurses in Jiangsu hospitals, higher AI anxiety was linked to greater occupational fatigue and stronger turnover intention, which threatens nursing workforce stability.

The rundown

The study used validated scales for AI anxiety, occupational fatigue, turnover intention and emotional intelligence. Mediation was tested with structural equation modelling and bootstrap resampling, while moderation was tested with moderated regression.

Baseline turnover intentions differed significantly by age, department and professional title level. The indirect effect through fatigue had a 95% confidence interval of 0.129 to 0.379.

Emotional intelligence had a significant negative main effect on fatigue (b = −0.257) but failed to buffer AI anxiety as a specific stressor. The authors recommend that hospital administrators adopt targeted AI literacy plans and fatigue relief strategies to retain nursing staff.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedFrontiers in Public Health2026-10-22

The debate