Most people are still using AI like a tool. Ask a question. Get an answer. Move on. That is useful, but it is also limited. Because one of the biggest advantages of AI is not just that it can produce content fast. It is that it can help people think better, decide faster, and work through ideas without getting stuck in their own head. That is what an AI thought partner really is. Not just a machine that gives outputs. A partner that helps sharpen thinking. This matters because a lot of modern work slows down long before execution. People get stuck trying to clarify ideas, organize messy thoughts, challenge assumptions, pressure-test decisions, or figure out the next best move. The bottleneck is often not effort. It is thinking friction. And that friction costs time. That is where an AI thought partner becomes powerful. It can help turn vague ideas into clear direction. It can help break down a problem when everything feels too big. It can help generate options, compare angles, surface blind spots, and speed up decision-making. Not by replacing human judgment, but by accelerating the process of getting to better judgment. That is the difference. Most people think of AI as a writing assistant, research helper, or productivity tool. And yes, it can do all of that. But the deeper value is in using it as a thinking companion, something that helps refine ideas before they become plans, content, offers, strategies, or decisions. That is why this is urgent. Because the people getting the most from AI are not just asking it to do tasks. They are using it to improve the quality and speed of their thinking. They are bringing it rough ideas, half-formed plans, messy notes, questions they cannot quite articulate yet, and problems they need help untangling. They are using AI to create clarity faster. And clarity changes everything. It reduces time-to-decision. It shortens time-to-first-draft. It lowers rework. It helps people move before overthinking turns into delay.

Some providers use an application called OpenEvidence, though I do not use it daily and still need to explore it further. At this point, I am unsure how much it can help me in a geriatric setting where I work directly within an EHR. That said, EHR systems clearly have room to incorporate more meaningful AI support. For example, I do not understand why an EHR cannot help automate tasks such as contacting the POA listed in the chart to report new orders. In the LTC setting, notifying families of new orders is typically part of the nursing workflow. In the AL setting, however, that responsibility often falls to my care coordinator, who must also document the encounter. Unfortunately, both care coordinators and assisted living staff often have less experience than ever before. In many places, RNs have been replaced by med techs, and care coordinators are being hired without the clinical background the role really demands. As a psych NP, I learned the hard way that consent from a POA or guardian must be obtained before prescribing an antipsychotic. The reality is that there is no time for a provider to personally call families when I am expected to see 30 patients a day, while also being told there is ongoing need for me because of staffing shortages. If that level of demand is expected, then compensation should reflect it enough to support life outside of work, whether that means hiring help for household responsibilities or otherwise preserving some balance. I face many obstacles in my role, and what is most frustrating is that these are not new problems. They should have been addressed by now, yet instead they seem to be getting worse.