Digital Skills and Readiness of Greek Nurses for Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Clinical Nursing Practice

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, with important implications for nursing practice and clinical workflows. However, evidence regarding nurses' digital skills, perceptions, and readiness to adopt AI-enabled technologies remains limited, particularly in national healthcare contexts such as Greece. Objectives: This study examined nurses' digital skills, perceptions of AI, and readiness for AI adoption in clinical practice, and explored demographic and professional factors associated with these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 166 nurses working in two public hospitals in Greece. Results: Nurses reported moderate digital skills, with 59.1% indicating competence in email/video communication and 27.2% reporting adequate use of digital security tools, while exposure to AI remained limited (18.0% reported using AI products/services in daily life). Perceived professional impact of AI was moderate, whereas readiness for AI adoption was comparatively lower, with only 7.8% considering health professionals adequately prepared and 7.2% reporting adequate AI training. Statistical analyses indicated that educational level and computer literacy certification were positively associated with digital skills, whereas longer professional experience was negatively associated with readiness for AI adoption. Conclusions: These findings highlight a gap between general digital competence and preparedness for AI-driven healthcare applications and underline the need for targeted education and implementation strategies to support effective and ethical integration of AI in nursing practice. From a nursing workforce perspective, the results underscore the importance of integrating AI literacy into continuing professional education and aligning digital health implementation strategies with clinical nursing practice.