Introduction: The integration of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) into nursing education faces challenges in linking theory to clinical application in complex family health contexts. Students struggle with efficiently accessing, appraising, and applying evidence influenced by sociocultural factors. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential but requires pedagogical design to foster critical thinking and ethical use beyond technical skills.Method: An action research with mixed methods was conducted with 100 nursing students. The intervention had four phases: participatory family diagnosis, AI-assisted evidence retrieval and validation, community educational workshops design and execution, and multi-level evaluation.Results: A significant shift in AI use from basic to strategic, with a 40% reduction in literature search time. Qualitative data revealed enhanced critical awareness and ethical reasoning, while quantitative results indicated 90% of students improved critical appraisal skills and 70% felt more confident in evidence-based decisions. The project impacted 100 families, with 90% trusting evidence-based recommendations.Conclusions: Integrating AI in experiential pedagogies like Design Thinking and Service-Learning effectively develops nursing competencies, ensuring technology adoption supports context-sensitive family health learning outcomes.
BACKGROUND
The nursing process is a systematic, patient-centered framework essential for clinical reasoning and decision-making in nursing education. It is commonly operationalized through the ADPIE (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) model, which guides nurses in identifying patient needs, developing care plans, implementing interventions, and evaluating outcomes in a structured and iterative manner. Although the nursing process is fundamental to nursing education and practice, some students may experience difficulties in applying ADPIE effectively, particularly the aspects of clinical reasoning and reflective practice.
METHODS
This was a quasi-experimental study conducted to compare the effects of a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)-assisted nursing process approach with traditional instruction on nursing students' evidence-based critical thinking, learning self-efficacy, and self-reported clinical reasoning. Moreover, the study integrated the intervention into a second-year nursing course (i.e., nursing process via obstetric nursing internship) as part of formal curriculum activities.
RESULTS
Students who participated in the GenAI-assisted nursing process approach demonstrated higher levels of evidence-based critical thinking, improved learning self-efficacy, and enhanced self-reported clinical reasoning ability compared with those in the traditional instruction group. The GenAI system provided adaptive feedback, real-time scaffolding, and iterative case refinement beyond traditional case-based learning.
CONCLUSIONS
Integrating GenAI into the ADPIE framework within nursing education may enhance students' critical thinking, learning self-efficacy, and self-reported clinical reasoning by supporting structured and reflective learning processes, offering a promising pedagogical approach for nursing education.
AIMS
This paper equips nursing and midwifery academics with strategies to assess student competence in an educational landscape shaped by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). It examines assessment design approaches, highlighting the shift from tasks reliant on unenforceable rules (discursive changes) toward redesigning assessment mechanics (structural changes) to preserve validity.
BACKGROUND
The rapid adoption of GenAI tools like ChatGPT is transforming higher education, challenging assumptions about teaching, learning, and academic integrity. Traditional assessments are increasingly unsuited when AI can replicate student outputs. Rather than policing AI use, institutions must leverage its potential whilst ensuring assessment remains authentic, equitable, and valid.
METHODS
A narrative review was undertaken, drawing upon peer-reviewed literature, expert commentary, and policy documents related to GenAI in nursing and midwifery education, emphasising assessment design and academic integrity.
DISCUSSION
Two primary approaches are presented. Lane One creates GenAI-resistant tasks fostering higher-order thinking. Lane Two embraces human-AI collaboration, focusing on transparency, process, and developing evaluative judgement. A hybrid Lane Three allows conditional AI use within defined boundaries. Effective redesign requires structural, not merely discursive change, adopting systemic program-level assessment and clarifying acceptable AI use. Supporting staff and students through uncertainty is essential for sustainable reform.
CONCLUSION
Valid and ethical assessment in the GenAI era demands explicit institutional policies, clear communication, and rubrics promoting authentic learning. Embedding structural changes within assessment design, rather than relying on rule enforcement, will ensure nursing and midwifery graduates are prepared to thrive in an AI-enabled world.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE
Ensuring patient safety principles remain central to assessments whilst demanding that GenAI integration upholds professional standards will prepare nursing and midwifery graduates to thrive in an AI-enabled healthcare environment.
Y. Salamonson, Pauletta Irwin, R. Kornhaber et al.· Journal of Clinical Nursing· 0 citations
Introduction: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can produce realistic clinical scenarios on demand and deliver immediate, individualized feedback, yet its use to teach ethical reasoning, rather than to address the ethics of AI itself, remains underexplored in interprofessional healthcare education. Aim: This pilot study examined how interprofessional healthcare students perceived an AI-enhanced, case-based platform designed to support ethical decision-making across physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology. Methods: Students enrolled in an interprofessional education course completed an online module of 20 instructor-vetted, AI-generated ethics cases and an optional post-activity survey of Likert-scale and open-ended items. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative responses were analyzed through content analysis. Results: Ten students responded. Within this small sample, perceptions of platform utility and usability were strongly positive, with all respondents agreeing that immediate feedback and scenario variety supported learning. Perceptions were more divided when the platform was compared directly with traditional classroom learning, and respondents identified pacing and auto-scrolling as usability concerns. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest AI-enhanced case-based platforms can engage students and support applied ethics learning but are best positioned to complement rather than replace traditional instruction. Findings are exploratory given the small, demographically limited sample.
L. Rankine, J. Van Bussel, S. Moodie et al.· medRxiv· 0 citations
Background/Objectives: Critical thinking in healthcare settings is essential in nursing and is a key element of delivering high-quality patient care. However, the disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical application, along with pressure from workloads, continues to create persistent challenges in nursing education. In this context, the increasing demand for facilitators to cultivate critical thinking skills in students necessitates technological approaches. Digital technologies can supply access to learning materials, clinical case studies, and interactive tasks that reinforce critical thinking principles. They can also support personalized learning paths and provide immediate feedback to learners. Methods: The study used qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive methods to achieve its objectives. A purposive sampling technique was used to intentionally select clinical facilitators and student nurses as participants. The sample included eleven female clinical facilitators, two male clinical facilitators, eight female student nurses, and four male student nurses. Data was gathered through semi-structured individual interviews. Results: A total of 25 participants were identified and met the eligibility criteria. The study was conducted at a nursing education institution in Gauteng, to get perceptions of both clinical facilitators and student nurses on how critical thinking can be enhanced using digital technology in clinical practice. Study participants perceived that digital technology is a promising strategy to support the development of critical thinking skills. Conclusions: The transition to digital technology-based approaches will provide accessibility to various learning platforms across time and location to facilitate the critical thinking and competencies of student nurses.
E. Ngobeni, Agnes Makhene, Lerato Matshaka· Nursing Reports· 0 citations
Nursing is both a science and an art, grounded in theory and centred on practical skills. Training in nursing education aims to build students’ cognitive and psychomotor abilities so they acquire strong theoretical knowledge and practical competence. The goal is to prepare competent nurses who can deliver safe, and high-quality care to individuals, families, and communities. Nursing education also promotes continuous learning, encouraging students to remain curious and adaptable in response to evolving trends in healthcare. Clinical exposure plays a crucial role in helping students adjust to the norms and culture of the profession. Learning in real clinical environments enables students to develop essential competencies for effective patient care. This study explored the theory-practice gap in nursing education among nursing students in Zambia. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used, starting with qualitative focus group discussions to capture students’ experiences and perceptions of mismatch es between classroom teaching and clinical practice. Insights from this phase guided the development of a structured questionnaire for the quantitative phase. Findings revealed a persistent theory-practice gap influenced by inadequate clinical supervision, limited resources, and inconsistencies in clinical procedures across facilities. Logistic regression analysis showed that students’ training level, clinical exposure, and access to mentorship significantly shaped their perceptions of the gap. The study underscores the importance of aligning theoretical instruction with clinical practice through stronger supervision, availability of clinical materials, and improved collaboration between training schools and clinical sites. Bridging these gaps can enhance student competence and contribute to quality nursing care in Zambia.
Sarah Banda, Lonia Mwape, C. Ngoma· Texila international journal...· 0 citations
Background: Critical thinking is an essential competency for nurses working in increasingly complex healthcare environments. Traditional teaching approaches often emphasize rote memorization and may not adequately promote higher-order critical thinking skills. The concept mapping approach has proven to be an effective tool for fostering meaningful learning through linking theory with practice. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of concept mapping in educational settings as a learning method for enhancing the development of critical thinking among third-year B.Sc. nursing students at Sikkim Manipal College of Nursing, India. Methods: A quantitative randomized controlled pretest–posttest study was conducted among third-year B.Sc. nursing students. Sixty students were selected using simple random sampling from a total population of 90 eligible students and randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 30) or the control group (n = 30) using a lottery method. The experimental group underwent a concept mapping intervention for 12 weeks, while the control group engaged in conventional nursing care plans. Assessment of critical thinking skills was done using a Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ), which is linked to the six cognitive domains of Bloom’s. Analysis of data used both descriptive and inferential statistics such as t-tests, independent t-tests, chi-square, or Fisher’s exact test. Results: Critical thinking scores increased significantly in the experimental group following concept mapping (81.67 ± 9.01 vs. 99.97 ± 9.43; t = 8.722, p < 0.001), compared with a smaller improvement in the control group (77.73 ± 10.53 vs. 82.26 ± 10.23; t = 4.871, p < 0.001). Post-test scores were significantly higher in the experimental group across all cognitive domains (p < 0.05), with large within-group and between-group effect sizes. Conclusion: Students who received concept mapping demonstrated significantly higher critical thinking scores than those who received conventional nursing care planning. These findings suggest that concept mapping may be an effective learner-centered teaching strategy for strengthening critical thinking among undergraduate nursing students.
Barkha Devi, Champa Sharma, Shrijana Pradhan et al.· The Malaysian Journal of Nur...· 0 citations