Views of Pediatric Nurses on the Use of Artificial Intelligence-Supported Social Robots in Pediatric Clinics

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine pediatric nurses’ views on the use of artificial intelligence-supported social robots in pediatric clinics. An exploratory-descriptive design was adopted in the study. This study was conducted with 15 nurses working in pediatric clinics at a hospital in Turkey’s Western Black Sea Region between August 7, 2025, and October 7, 2025. Data for the study were collected through individual interviews using a semi-structured interview form. The collected data were systematically analyzed using thematic analysis. The data obtained from the research identified 6 main themes and 17 sub-themes from the analysis of data obtained from interviews conducted with pediatric nurses regarding the use of artificial intelligence-supported social robots in pediatric clinics. These themes are the impact on nursing practice, contribution to the care process of pediatric patients, ethical–security and privacy concerns, training and adaptation requirements, challenges in the implementation and integration process, and attitudes and recommendations for the future. Pediatric nurses indicated that these social robots could be beneficial in reducing children’s anxiety and fear, improving treatment compliance, and reducing nurses’ workload. These findings may increase nurses’ awareness of ethical, communicative and professional responsibility when using artificial intelligence-supported social robots. Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.