Artificial intelligence adaptation in the future healthcare workforce: Evaluating literacy and anxiety levels

BackgroundIncreasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical workflows necessitates assessing how future healthcare professionals adapt to these technologies.ObjectıveThis study aims to determine the artificial intelligence literacy and anxiety levels of students at a Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS) and to analyze the factors influencing these levels.MethodsThis cross-sectional and descriptive-predictive study invited 800 associate degree healthcare students, resulting in a final sample of 545 participants (response rate: 68.12%). Instruments included a Sociodemographic Form, the AI Literacy Scale (AILS), and the AI Anxiety Scale (AIAS).ResultsThe mean age of participants was $20.41\pm 4.07$ years. While $55.6\text{\%}$ of students reported partial knowledge of AI, only $44.4\text{\%}$ reported active use of AI-supported tools. In univariate analyses, gender ($p=.005,{\eta }^2=0.015$), prior AI knowledge ($p=.002$), and active AI application use ($p=.007$) showed statistically significant differences in anxiety levels. Total AI literacy was weakly negatively correlated with AI anxiety ($r=-0.20,p<.001$). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed that the established model significantly predicted anxiety $(F_{7,537}=10.387,p<.001$), explaining $11.9\text{\%}$ of the total variance ($R^2=.119$, Adjusted $R^2=.108$). Within the multivariable model, cognitive literacy subdimensions-Awareness ($\beta =-.143,p=.002$), Evaluation ($\beta =-.116,p=.027$), and Ethics ($\beta =-.093,p=.046$)-and male gender ($\beta =-.188,p<.001$) were associated with lower anxiety. Conversely, the operational AI Usage subdimension ($\beta =.106,p=.023$) was associated with higher anxiety.ConclusıonsCognitive AI literacy (awareness, evaluation, and ethics) serves as a protective buffer against technological anxiety, whereas practical execution introduces accountability-related stress. Vocational health curricula should incorporate structured AI simulations, socio-technical frameworks, and ethical evaluation to foster digital confidence.