How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness

Abstract Given the advantages of AI technology in areas such as data collection, data processing, decision optimization, and efficiency enhancement, numerous healthcare institutions are actively embracing AI to propel their development toward intelligence. However, while AI technology reduces costs...

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Main Authors: Jianpeng Fan, Leilei Zhang, Ning Li, Shuyu Man
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Nursing
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03265-9
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author Jianpeng Fan
Leilei Zhang
Ning Li
Shuyu Man
author_facet Jianpeng Fan
Leilei Zhang
Ning Li
Shuyu Man
author_sort Jianpeng Fan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Given the advantages of AI technology in areas such as data collection, data processing, decision optimization, and efficiency enhancement, numerous healthcare institutions are actively embracing AI to propel their development toward intelligence. However, while AI technology reduces costs and enhances efficiency within healthcare institutions, it also poses a potential risk of occupational substitution for nurses, which may subsequently inhibit nurses’ innovative behavior. This study, using Mplus8.0, analyzed 394 survey responses and found the following: (1) The perceived substitution of AI technology is significantly negatively correlated with nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.16, p < .001); (2) AI anxiety acts as a mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.08, p < .01); (3) Human-AI cooperation intention also acts as a mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.09, p < .001); (4) AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention together function as a chain mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.05, p < .05); (5) Organizational AI readiness moderates the relationship between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = 0.05, p < .05). These findings not only enrich the theories related to human resource management but also offer valuable insights for alleviating nurses’ AI anxiety, stimulating their intention for human - AI cooperation, and enhancing the AI readiness of healthcare institutions. Consequently, they can arouse nurses’ enthusiasm for innovation and improve the efficiency of human resource utilization in healthcare institutions.
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spelling doaj-art-8a6c674bd29f435d80f3dab03cad67962025-08-20T03:37:29ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-07-0124111310.1186/s12912-025-03265-9How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readinessJianpeng Fan0Leilei Zhang1Ning Li2Shuyu Man3School of Economics and Management, Pingdingshan UniversitySchool of Economics and Management, Pingdingshan UniversitySchool of Economics and Management, Pingdingshan UniversitySchool of Economics and Management, Pingdingshan UniversityAbstract Given the advantages of AI technology in areas such as data collection, data processing, decision optimization, and efficiency enhancement, numerous healthcare institutions are actively embracing AI to propel their development toward intelligence. However, while AI technology reduces costs and enhances efficiency within healthcare institutions, it also poses a potential risk of occupational substitution for nurses, which may subsequently inhibit nurses’ innovative behavior. This study, using Mplus8.0, analyzed 394 survey responses and found the following: (1) The perceived substitution of AI technology is significantly negatively correlated with nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.16, p < .001); (2) AI anxiety acts as a mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.08, p < .01); (3) Human-AI cooperation intention also acts as a mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.09, p < .001); (4) AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention together function as a chain mediator between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = − 0.05, p < .05); (5) Organizational AI readiness moderates the relationship between the perceived substitution of AI technology and nurses’ innovation behavior (β = 0.05, p < .05). These findings not only enrich the theories related to human resource management but also offer valuable insights for alleviating nurses’ AI anxiety, stimulating their intention for human - AI cooperation, and enhancing the AI readiness of healthcare institutions. Consequently, they can arouse nurses’ enthusiasm for innovation and improve the efficiency of human resource utilization in healthcare institutions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03265-9Perceived substitution of AI technologyAI anxietyHuman-AI Cooperation intentionOrganizational AI readinessNurses’ innovation behavior
spellingShingle Jianpeng Fan
Leilei Zhang
Ning Li
Shuyu Man
How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
BMC Nursing
Perceived substitution of AI technology
AI anxiety
Human-AI Cooperation intention
Organizational AI readiness
Nurses’ innovation behavior
title How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
title_full How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
title_fullStr How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
title_full_unstemmed How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
title_short How the perceived substitution of AI technology hinders nurses’ innovation behavior: the mediating role of AI anxiety and human-AI cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational AI readiness
title_sort how the perceived substitution of ai technology hinders nurses innovation behavior the mediating role of ai anxiety and human ai cooperation intention and the moderating role of organizational ai readiness
topic Perceived substitution of AI technology
AI anxiety
Human-AI Cooperation intention
Organizational AI readiness
Nurses’ innovation behavior
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03265-9
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