Incorporation of Generative AI in an Introductory Nursing Informatics Course

This case study describes how one educator approached the incorporation of generative AI into a graduate-level introductory nursing informatics course. Policy for acceptable use of generative AI was set separately for each assignment and disclosure of use was included in grading rubrics. Classroom discussions were used to explore issues surrounding generative AI such as trust and ethical concerns. One assignment required the use of a generative AI output to serve as the first draft of patient education material that was then to be improved by the student. In an accompanying reflection, students described their key takeaways from the experience of completing the assignment. The approach for this course was successful in achieving the goal of familiarizing students with the uses, benefits, risks, and ethical implications of using generative AI in the classroom and in healthcare. Opportunities are identified for improvement of assignment instructions.