The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in nursing education and practice offers significant benefits; however, overreliance on these tools without contingency plans poses critical risks to teaching, learning, and patient care. 

AI tools are currently being utilized in Nursing Education and clinical practice. For example, it has been used for spell-checking (Grammarly), curriculum development, creating unfolding case studies, assignments, data processing, and clinical simulation. 

Over the past six to 12 months, there has been considerable discussion in the literature and at conferences across the United States and globally regarding the ethical, academic, and practical implications of using AI technologies in nursing education and practice. 

The literature highlights both benefits and limitations of AI use in nursing, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, critical thinking, and continual evaluation. AI serves as a bridge for intergenerational nursing instruction, offering innovative ways for instructors to enhance engagement and accessibility for learners. 

Faculty members are concerned about academic integrity due to the flaws in AI and detection tools, making it challenging to uphold policies on citation and originality. 

Additionally, students have discovered workaround tools to mask plagiarism, such as coding to blur backgrounds when taking exams at home, using meta-glasses to record lectures, taking photos of exams, or having answers fed to them through earbuds while taking exams in the classroom. These tools bring ethical and long-term learning retention considerations that require further vigilance and study.  

Moreover, students performing internet searches regarding patient conditions, evidence-based practice, and patient medication information are provided rapid information from AI results. But are they accurate? Overreliance on AI without critically appraising the information could lead to inaccurate care, patient teaching, and possible harm.  

The use of AI recording devices in healthcare clinical settings requires careful consideration of patient and family confidentiality and privacy, as per the Nursing Code of Ethics concerning confidentiality and professionalism. 

AI-generated scenarios in Sim Lab, clinical, and classroom settings may enhance learning and critical thinking. However, excessive dependence on AI risks diminishing nurses’ ability to act independently, especially when technology fails during emergencies. 

The question remains: Can future nurses internalize essential knowledge if it is always accessible via AI tools such as ChatGPT? Does this reliance risk diminishing critical skills when rapid, independent decision-making is necessary during emergencies? 

As these tools collect sensitive data with our prompts, how can nursing educators help students protect the confidentiality of our institutions of higher learning, healthcare institutions, patients, and classmates? 

The strength of the experiences in the classrooms, clinical sites, and eventually the workplace has always depended on the student’s ability to comprehend the information learned in nursing school and apply it to experience. Novice nurses should be familiar with their chain of command and the following steps to take in case of an emergency, such as a natural disaster that causes loss of power and cell service. 

Call To Action: 

• Nursing instructors should guide students in practicing critical thinking with AI by assigning specific prompts, teaching them how to check accuracy and bias, and actively involving them in evaluating AI-generated information. 
• Create opportunities for students to analyze and correct errors in AI-generated information through targeted simulations or assignments, helping them recognize inaccuracies and improve information literacy. 
• Require students to use critical appraisal and verify all sources in every assignment to prevent reliance on inaccurate or biased information. 
• Have a backup plan for emergencies, such as power or internet outages, and be familiar with your chain of command and key interprofessional team members. 

AI brings transformative possibilities to nursing education. However, over-reliance poses a threat to essential nursing skills and patient safety, particularly in emergencies when technology fails. Prioritizing critical thinking, ethics, and backup plans is vital for effective AI integration.