Knowledge, Attitudes and Perception of Nursing Students about Artificial Intelligence in India
TL;DR
It is suggested that nursing students in India possess adequate knowledge about AI, indicating a positive perception that AI plays a transformative function in nursing education and practice, with a need for more focused training and integration into the curriculum.
Abstract
In recent times, nursing students have been utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, as they perceive it boosts learning outcomes and academic performance and transforms several facets of healthcare. This study aimed to explore nursing students' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions concerning the adoption of AI in their academic and clinical areas. It applied an exploratory study design to cover the study population of all undergraduate students, including interns from selected private nursing colleges in Tamil Nadu, India (N = 440). A self-designed online questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms to the target population and 317 responded. The results showed that 81.3% were familiar with the term "AI" (81.3%). 76.3% recognized that AI would revolutionize the nursing field. Most nursing students consented that AI should be included in undergraduate (67.2%) and postgraduate (71.3%) nursing curricula. 77.9% perceived that AI would be helpful for their future career. A significant variation was observed in nursing students' knowledge, attitude and perception scores across age categories, but not for gender and year of study. This study concluded that female nursing students, especially those aged 17-19, demonstrated strong knowledge, an optimistic attitude and had a better perception of AI. The findings suggest that nursing students in India possess adequate knowledge about AI, indicating a positive perception that AI plays a transformative function in nursing education and practice, with a need for more focused training and integration into the curriculum.