AI in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Ethics, Risks, & Opportunities for PMH Nurses
From AI scribes that generate clinical documentation to therapy chatbots and predictive analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly evolving in psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing care.
“Awareness and discerning adoption of artificial intelligence in the clinical realm is crucial to caring for patients. Consumers are using AI without complete knowledge of necessary safeguards,” says Mary L. Serowoky, DNP, FNP-BC, an Associate Clinical Professor at the McAuley School of Nursing University of Detroit Mercy.
Serowoky and her colleagues, Phillip Olla, PhD and Andrea Kwasky, DNP, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC presented an interprofessional panel on the ethical use of AI at the 2025 APNA Annual Conference.
Below are quick insights for PMH nurses using AI tools, based on content from this presentation (now available on demand here!). And this is just the start…at the upcoming APNA 40th Annual Conference, more PMH nurses will share their evidence-based insights on AI across a range of areas and perspectives.
How is AI Currently used in PMH nursing?
AI is being used to support a variety of clinical and administrative functions in mental health care. These tools aim to reduce administrative workload and improve efficiency in clinical practice.
Common applications include:
- AI scribes and transcription tools that generate clinical notes
- Automated patient communication systems
- AI-assisted patient education tools
- Risk prediction algorithms
- Therapy chatbots for behavioral health support
What are the benefits?
When used responsibly, AI can enhance mental health care delivery. For example, AI-powered documentation tools can help PMH nurses spend more time engaging with patients and less time on administrative tasks.
Potential benefits highlighted by the panel include enhanced patient education, reduced documentation burden for clinicians, and enhanced clinical insights through data analysis.
What are some of the ethical risks?
Despite the potential benefits, the experts caution that AI also raises important ethical considerations for PMH nurses. Human oversight and ethical safeguards remain critical in psychiatric-mental health settings.
Major risks include:
- Patient privacy and HIPAA compliance
- Algorithmic bias affecting diagnosis or treatment recommendations
- Unvalidated sources in chatbots
- Over-reliance on technology instead of clinical judgment
- Possible disruption of the therapeutic relationship
- Potential for dehumanizing patient care
One Framework for Ethical Use of AI in Health Care
There are several emerging ethical frameworks to guide safe AI implementation in health care. One example highlighted by the panel is the FAVES model, which emphasizes responsible technology use in clinical environments.
FAVES Principles
- Fair: Ensure equitable access and minimize algorithmic bias
- Appropriate: Maintain transparency and respect for patients
- Valid: Use empirically sound, rigorously tested, evidence-based models
- Effective: Demonstrate measurable improvements in care outcomes
- Safe: Minimize risks of harm, uphold the duty of care, and integrate an ethics of care perspective
“PMH nurses can apply the FAVES model as an ethical lens to ascertain how AI and other technologies impact the planning and delivery of care,” Serowoky says.
“The most important thing to keep in mind is that all tools require human guardrails, intervention, and editing,” Serowoky says. “AI is not a replacement for clinical decision-making or the therapeutic relationship.”
Through the end of May, members earn FREE CE with this session! >>>Start Learning
You may be wondering…what are 4 practical steps I can take now?
Check out the next article in this series, How Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses Can Use AI Ethically: 4 Practical Steps, for more!
About the Expert
Mary L. Serowoky, DNP, FNP-BC
Associate Clinical Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, University of Detroit Mercy
Serowoky teaches in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program and has more than 40 years of active clinical practice in primary care with youth and vulnerable populations. The clinics in which she works are routinely employing AI for a variety of tasks.
This article summarizes key insights from the 2025 APNA Annual Conference presentation “An Interprofessional Approach to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatric Nursing.” The session was delivered by an interdisciplinary panel including nurses, a health systems AI expert, and an ethicist, providing clinical and research perspectives on the use of AI in mental health care. The framework and recommendations discussed draw on guidance from health care organizations and peer-reviewed literature on AI in health care.
