Benefits and Challenges of Digital Technologies in Health Professions Education: Insights From Nursing and Medical...

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into health professions education. However, their use by students in low-income countries has not been extensively studied. In this context, the balance between using these tools to build clinical competencies and the challenges involved remains unclear. This study explored the utilization, perceived benefits, and challenges of digital technology in classroom and clinical placement learning among nursing and radiologic technology students.

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among nursing and medical radiologic technology students at Addis Ababa University, Arba Minch University, and Hawassa University in Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 10 and September 25, 2025, with nineteen third- and fourth-year nursing and medical radiologic technology students. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically.

Three main themes emerged: Use and Application of Digital Technologies in Health Professions Education, Perceived Effects of Using Digital Technology in Health Professions Education, and Student-Recommended Solutions to Digital Technology-Induced Problems. The first theme, use and application of digital technologies in health professions education, included subthemes: digital technologies for theoretical academic learning and digital technology use in the development of clinical skills. The second theme, perceived effects of using digital technology in health professional education, included subthemes: advantages of digital technology utilization for learning in health profession education and drawbacks of using digital technology for learning in the health profession.

While digital technologies are increasingly used by health professions students to support theoretical learning and clinical skills, their influence remains limited by inadequate digital infrastructure, limited digital and AI literacy, and unregulated use. To ensure these technologies optimize health professions education, higher education institutions must strengthen digital infrastructure, integrate digital and AI literacy into curricula, and develop clear digital technology and resource usage guidelines for responsible academic use.