AI: The Nursing Student’s New Best Friend

As nursing programs grow more rigorous and technology advances, artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are helping nursing students better navigate nursing school.

What AI tools are available for nursing students? And is AI a smart companion or an ethical shortcut?

A round table of nursing educators and AI experts weighs in with recommendations on using AI responsibly, its capabilities and limits, and practical advice for bringing AI into your nursing school journey.

While not perfect, AI is increasingly prominent in nursing education and practice, offering tools that enhance learning experiences and streamline clinical workflows.

“While educational technology has advanced, truly personalized and affordable help for nursing students has lagged,” said Emin Khalafian, co-founder of GoodNurse, touted as a personalized AI study partner that can help learners prepare for key challenges like the all-important NCLEX exam. “AI tools like GoodNurse close that gap by giving instant, adaptive feedback, spotting learning holes as they appear, and reflecting the decision-support systems nurses now encounter in modern hospitals. Early use builds confidence and digital fluency they will need at the bedside.”

Along with solutions like GoodNurse, AI-powered apps like Osmosis and UpToDate were designed to support students’ understanding of complex concepts and enable interactive content that changes to reflect learner performance.

More schools are integrating AI into their curricula, but adoption has moved deliberately. A 2025 survey conducted by Wolters Kluwer and the National League for Nursing revealed that while only 17% of nursing programs currently utilize generative AI, nearly 45% plan to invest in it within the next 2-3 years. This trend underscores the growing emphasis on preparing students for AI-integrated healthcare environments.

Students are discovering new tools to enhance learning, improve clinical reasoning, and manage their workload. Here are several tools for individual students and at a growing number of nursing schools.

New to AI in nursing school? Let’s look at simple, practical steps to help you begin using AI tools to support learning and clinical success.

AI may seem complex and it can be daunting. What happens when students are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the technology?

“It’s completely okay to ask your faculty for guidance,” Jones said. “Many schools are still figuring it out, and students are seeking more faculty support. Students can also start small by using AI to help organize, plan, and support their studying.”

Clarke also had advice for nursing students who find the technology difficult. She suggested working with clinical instructors, preceptors, or other advisors, and continuing to use these tools to gain greater confidence.

“The more times students use the AI tools, the more comfortable they will become with these tools. AI is a relatively new toolset; by seeing it in practical use, students will become more comfortable with using it themselves,” Clarke said.

While AI-powered platforms intimidate some students, others inevitably find they are adept at using the technology. This could, in some cases, help steer a student’s professional pathway.

“Roles like nursing informatics, simulation design, education, or quality improvement are all fields that blend nursing with technology and data,” Jones said. “Those interested in ethics or innovation may be a good fit for telehealth or digital health leadership, where nurses guide tech use and policy.”

We asked our experts about the ways that students could use AI-powered aids and the ways that may be inappropriate.

Jones and Clarke both offered clear guidelines to help students draw the ethical line.

“Using AI to organize notes, study, brainstorm, assist with citations, or improve grammar and punctuation is generally appropriate,” Jones said. “But using it to write entire papers, complete assignments, or take tests crosses into academic dishonesty.”

Clarke agreed while noting different applications where AI can be helpful without raising ethical questions.

“AI-powered aides can assist in study tools, such as interactive cadavers for A&P labs, more realistic depictions of cardiac arrhythmias, and arrests,” Clarke said. “Using AI-powered aides to assist in writing papers or obtaining exam questions and answers would not be an ok thing to do as a nursing student.”