Tool or Tyrant: Guiding and Guarding Generative Artificial Intelligence Use in Nursing Education

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve rapidly, its integration into nursing education is inevitable. This article presents a narrative exploring the implementation of generative AI in nursing education and offers a guide for its strategic use. The exploration begins with an examination of the broader societal impact and uses of artificial intelligence, recognizing its pervasive presence and the potential it holds. Thematic analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats collected from nurse educators across the southeastern United States in this case-based descriptive study used four codes: time, innovation, critical thinking, and routine tasks. Findings from the qualitative analysis revealed the overarching themes that AI can serve as both a tool and a tyrant, offering opportunities for efficiency and innovation while posing challenges of transparency, ethical use, and AI literacy. By establishing ethical guidelines, fostering AI literacy, and promoting responsible implementation in nursing education with a clear articulation of expectations, nurse educators can guide and guard the use of generative AI. Despite the concerns, the transformative potential of generative AI to enhance teaching methodologies and prepare students for the interprofessional health-care workforce provides a multitude of innovative opportunities for teaching and learning.