What the study found
The study found that Chinese nursing students had moderate but uneven artificial intelligence literacy, and the ethics dimension was the least developed. The authors also identified frequency of AI use, attitudes toward AI, interest in AI, and digital literacy as key factors linked to AI literacy.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that AI literacy is important for nursing students to navigate healthcare complexity and support safe patient care. They suggest that targeted interventions, such as AI ethics workshops and digital literacy curricula, are needed to strengthen ethical competencies and digital readiness in AI-integrated healthcare settings.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study from April 1 to April 20, 2025, at a public higher education institution with a Master of Science in Nursing program. They surveyed 423 nursing students using anonymous, self-administered online questionnaires and analyzed the data with descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression adjusted for relevant covariates.
What worked and what didn't
The mean AI literacy scale score was 59.67 (SD = 8.52), indicating moderate literacy overall. Operational usage performed better than ethics, which was the weakest domain; the study also reported significant associations between overall AI literacy and frequency of AI use, attitudes toward AI, and digital literacy, along with dimension-specific associations for awareness, usage, evaluation, and ethics.
What to keep in mind
This was a cross-sectional study, so it shows associations rather than cause-and-effect relationships. The sample came from one public higher education institution and was selected by convenience sampling, which limits how broadly the findings can be generalized. The abstract does not describe additional limitations.
Key points
- Nursing students showed moderate but uneven AI literacy overall.
- AI ethics was the least developed literacy domain.
- Frequency of AI use, attitudes toward AI, interest in AI, and digital literacy were linked to AI literacy.
- The study surveyed 423 nursing students at one public higher education institution in China.
- The authors suggest AI ethics workshops and digital literacy curricula.
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
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