The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has become prominent in nursing education. The various uses of AI in the academic setting provide opportunities for nursing students to develop critical thinking skills, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment, as well as real-time feedback that can strengthen clinical decision-making and student outcomes. Although this may enhance student learning and revolutionize nursing education and practice, it also presents challenges and concerns, particularly related to ethical issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential to lose person-centered care and therapeutic communication.
Individualized education and student engagement
AI has emerged as a powerful tool for promoting individualized learning and student engagement in nursing education by creating interactive, learner-centered experiences that support active participation and skill development. In a study by Benfatah and colleagues, ChatGPT was used as a virtual patient during nursing simulation training, enabling students to practice communication skills in realistic patient encounters. The study found that engagement with ChatGPT helped students develop clear questioning techniques, active listening skills, therapeutic communication, appropriate follow-up questioning, and patient-centered interviewing approaches. Students reported that the AI-supported simulations enhanced their engagement, reinforced independent learning, improved confidence, and provided a safe environment in which to practice.
In contrast, Teixeira and colleagues evaluated AI-enhanced virtual reality (VR) simulations, which offered a more immersive learning environment focused on holistic patient assessment, communication, clinical reasoning, decision-making, and problem-based learning. Both studies highlighted increased confidence, engagement, and learning in psychologically safe environments, but the AI-driven VR scenarios provided a broader clinical context that allowed students to integrate assessment findings, apply clinical judgment, and experience realistic patient interactions.
Collectively, these studies suggest that AI can support individualized education by accommodating diverse learning styles, providing opportunities for repeated and self-directed practice, and delivering authentic learning experiences that actively engage students in the development of clinical competencies. The educational benefits of ChatGPT are maximized when educators possess the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to integrate AI effectively into teaching and learning practices.
Enhanced learning
The integration of AI into nursing education has the potential to transform both how students learn and how educators deliver instruction by creating more personalized, interactive, and accessible learning experiences. Through adaptive learning technologies, immediate feedback, and flexible on-demand educational support, AI can accommodate diverse learning needs, promote equitable access to educational resources, and enable students to engage with course content at their own pace.
Several studies (such as Jallad and colleagues, as well as Ostick and colleagues) highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in enhancing nursing education, although they approach the topic from different perspectives. Jallad and colleagues focused on the actual use of AI tools among nursing students and their perceived educational benefits, reporting that AI supports knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, decision-making, communication skills, self-efficacy, and independent learning. The study suggests that students view AI as a valuable learning resource that promotes engagement, provides immediate feedback, and facilitates personalized learning experiences.
In contrast, Ostick and colleagues provided a broader examination of generative AI applications in nursing education, emphasizing its potential to transform both teaching and learning through AI-generated practice questions, automated feedback, simulation development, and adaptive learning activities. Together, these studies suggest that AI enhances student learning by supporting individualized instruction, increasing learner engagement, fostering higher-order thinking and clinical judgment, and providing opportunities for repeated practice and immediate feedback.
While Jallad and colleagues primarily demonstrate AI’s impact from the student-user perspective, Ostick and colleagues, also highlight the pedagogical and faculty benefits of AI integration, including increased efficiency in course and assessment development. Collectively, the findings indicate that AI can create more personalized, interactive, and learner-centered educational environments that promote deeper learning, skill development, and preparedness for contemporary nursing practice, while also underscoring the importance of responsible implementation and ongoing evaluation of AI technologies in nursing education.
Authenticity of learning experiences through AI
AI has the potential to enhance the authenticity of learning experiences in nursing education by creating realistic, interactive, and clinically relevant practice environments that closely resemble real-world patient encounters. In the study by Benfatah and colleagues, ChatGPT functioned as a virtual patient, allowing nursing students to engage in authentic patient interviews and therapeutic communication exercises that mirrored clinical interactions.
Similarly, Teixeira and colleagues found that AI-enhanced VR simulations increased the authenticity of clinical learning by immersing students in realistic patient care scenarios that required holistic assessment, communication, clinical reasoning, and decision-making. The AI-driven interactions allowed learners to respond to patient cues, gather relevant information, and make clinical judgments much as they would in actual practice settings. Students reported that the simulations provided meaningful opportunities to apply knowledge, develop interviewing and assessment skills, and learn from mistakes without compromising patient safety.
Together, these findings suggest that AI technologies can create authentic learning experiences that bridge the gap between classroom instruction and clinical practice by providing realistic, psychologically safe environments where students can actively engage in decision-making, communication, and patient care activities while receiving opportunities for repeated practice and skill development.
Challenges and concerns associated with AI-enhanced learning
Despite the many benefits of AI in nursing education, several challenges and concerns must be addressed to ensure responsible and effective use. A primary concern is the potential for academic dishonesty and plagiarism, as students may use generative AI tools to complete assignments or generate responses without fully engaging in the learning process. This raises concerns about the authenticity of student work and the accurate assessment of knowledge and competency, as AI-generated content may not accurately reflect students’ knowledge, critical thinking, or achievement of intended learning outcomes.
There’s the risk of AI-generated misinformation or “hallucinations,” whereby AI systems can provide inaccurate, misleading, or fabricated information that students may mistakenly accept as factual. Such inaccuracies are particularly concerning in nursing education, where incorrect information could negatively influence clinical reasoning and decision-making.
Other concerns include algorithmic bias, privacy and confidentiality issues, and the potential for over reliance on AI, which may hinder the development of independent thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment. Accordingly, some studies (such as by Jallad and colleagues and Ostick and colleagues) emphasize that AI should be used as a supplement to—not a replacement for—faculty guidance, critical reflection, and authentic learning experiences, underscoring the need for clear policies, ethical guidelines, and AI literacy training to support its effective integration into nursing education.
Summary
The literature suggests that AI has considerable potential to enhance nursing education by promoting personalized learning, increasing student engagement, improving communication and clinical reasoning skills, and providing authentic, immersive learning experiences. AI-supported tool—such as virtual patients, generative AI platforms, and AI-enhanced virtual reality simulations—can expand access to learning opportunities while supporting the development of competencies essential for nursing practice.
However, successful integration requires careful attention to challenges related to academic integrity, misinformation, bias, privacy, and overreliance on technology. As AI continues to evolve, nursing educators must adopt evidence-based, ethical, and learner-centered approaches that harness its benefits while preserving the critical thinking, clinical judgment, and humanistic values fundamental to the nursing profession.
Dione Sandiford, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE is an assistant professor at Rutgers University School of Nursing in Newark, NJ.
References
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Chicca J, Shellenbarger T. Navigating nursing student use and suspected misuse of artificial intelligence. Teach Learn Nurs. 2026;21(2):133-8. doi:10.1016/j.teln.2025.11.020
Foronda C, Porter A. Strategies to incorporate artificial intelligence in nursing education. Nurse Educator. 2024;49(3):173-4. doi:10.1097/NNE.0000000000001584
Jallad ST, Alsaqer K, Albadareen BI, Al-Maghaireh D. Artificial intelligence tools utilized in nursing education: Incidence and associated factors. Nurse Educ Today. 2024;142:106355. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106355
Ostick M, Mariani B, Lovecchio C. The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in nursing education. Teach Learn Nurs. 2025;20(4):e1296-1301. doi:10.1016/j.teln.2025.05.025
Teixeira L, Mitchell A, Martinez NC, Salim BJ. Virtual reality with artificial intelligence–led scenarios in nursing education: A project evaluation. Br J Nurs. 2024;33(17):812-20. doi:10.12968/bjon.2024.0055
