Rapid review on GenAI in nursing education

TL;DR

This paper reviews how generative AI like ChatGPT can be used in nursing education, highlighting both its potential benefits and ethical challenges.

Contribution

The paper provides a rapid review of generative AI's role in nursing education, emphasizing the need for curriculum adaptation and teacher training.

Findings

Generative AI can enhance personalized learning and simulation training in nursing education.

Ethical concerns such as bias and plagiarism require careful attention when integrating AI into education.

Curriculum adaptation and teacher training are essential for responsible AI use in nursing education.

Abstract

The use of generative AI, as represented by ChatGPT, holds promising potential for nursing education. This manifests itself in various areas, including personalized learning, simulation training and teaching process support. However, its integration requires careful consideration of ethical implications, adaptation of curricula and a high level of digital competence on the part of teachers. Only in this way can potential risks, such as the distortion of knowledge, bias and educational inequalities, be avoided.

Relevant publications were identified between 2019 and 2025 as part of a comprehensive literature search in the specialist databases PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus. The search was conducted using combined search terms that included the terms “generative AI”, “ChatGPT” and “nursing”. After removing duplicates and screening (PRISMA-guided), 140 full texts were analysed and divided into two publications. This rapid overview focuses on the topic of generative AI in nursing education.

As part of the analysis of the included studies, five thematic areas were identified, which were divided into the categories of nursing education, competence development and nursing skills, implementation possibilities, examination quality and ethical considerations, and evaluated. A key theme is the dual potential of this technology: it can enrich learning through features such as virtual tutors and improved exam preparation, but it also requires critical consideration of ethical issues such as plagiarism, data bias and the need for human oversight.

In this context, the conclusion emphasises the urgent need to adapt curricula and provide targeted further training for teachers so that GenAI can be used responsibly and effectively—rather than, as is often the case at present, by banning it altogether.

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