Constructing digital professionalism in the generative AI era: A qualitative study with nursing students and faculty

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Digital Ethics

Background:

• Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into nursing education, impacting coursework, simulation, and assessment.
• Traditional digital professionalism frameworks need adaptation to address algorithmic assistance, ensuring learning integrity and equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' and faculty's conceptualization and application of digital professionalism with generative AI.
• To develop an explanatory model for policy, pedagogy, and assessment informed by these insights.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative phenomenological study involving 24 participants (16 students, 8 faculty) from a Saudi Arabian nursing college.
• In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, translated, and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase approach.
• Trustworthiness was ensured through maximum-variation sampling, member reflections, an audit trail, and analyst triangulation.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: transparent practice (disclosure, verification), uneven rules and risks (inconsistent policies, risks for vulnerable students), human-in-the-loop professionalism (proportionate guardrails, human oversight), and identity work (stigma to legitimacy).
• A simplified model emphasizes disclosing AI use, verifying work, and revising under human authorship with feasible guardrails and explicit expectations.
• Findings highlight the need for practical, equitable policies for AI integration in nursing education.

Conclusions:

• Digital professionalism with AI is a teachable process centered on accountability.
• Clear, proportionate expectations are crucial for promoting academic integrity, assessor independence, and equity in nursing education.
• The study provides a framework for navigating AI's role in professional development and ethical practice in nursing.