What the study found
Chinese nursing students showed moderate but uneven artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, meaning their ability to understand and use AI varied across skill areas. The weakest area was AI ethics, while operational use was stronger.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that AI literacy is needed for nursing students to navigate healthcare and support safe patient care. They also suggest that targeted support, including AI ethics workshops and digital literacy curricula, is necessary to improve ethical competence and digital readiness.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a cross-sectional study at one public higher education institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing program. Four hundred and twenty-three nursing students completed anonymous, self-administered online questionnaires, and the team used descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression to examine associations.
What worked and what didn't
The mean AI literacy scale score was 59.67, with a standard deviation of 8.52, showing a moderate overall level. Frequency of AI use, attitudes toward AI, and digital literacy were significant predictors of AI literacy. By dimension, awareness was associated with gender, attitudes toward AI, interest in AI, and digital literacy; usage with age, AI use frequency, and attitudes; evaluation with attitudes; and ethics with gender.
What to keep in mind
The study was conducted at one institution and used convenience sampling, so the findings are limited to this sample. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the study setting and sample approach.
Key points
- AI literacy among the nursing students was moderate but uneven.
- AI ethics was the least developed dimension.
- Operational usage of AI scored better than ethics.
- Frequency of AI use, attitudes toward AI, and digital literacy were significant predictors of AI literacy.
- The study surveyed 423 nursing students at one public nursing program.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Chinese nursing students showed moderate AI literacy
- Authors:
- Xuefen Lan, M. Li, Yu Wang, Miaoqin Chen, Heyun Jiang, Shunfei Lu, Ying Zhou
- Institutions:
- Lishui University, Lishui University, Lishui University, Lishui University, Lishui University, Lishui University, Lishui Vocational and Technical College
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-07
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Photo by Yusuf Çelik on Pexels · Pexels License
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