Integrating artiﬁcial intelligence into nurse practitioner education - Strategies for teaching the next generation of nurse practitioners

Sep 21, 2026

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The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into health care requires nurse practitioner (NP) education to evolve alongside clinical practice. The article argues that NP programs must teach AI literacy so graduates can navigate and lead in AI-enhanced environments. It presents curriculum strategies using AI-powered assignments and simulations to strengthen critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and ethical discernment. It also examines faculty adaptation, assessment redesign, equity, and responsible AI use to support effective implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Teaching artificial intelligence literacy to nurse practitioner students

Education Integrating artiﬁcial intelligence into nurse practitioner education: Strategies for teaching the next generation of nurse practitioners Grace H. Sun, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC (Assistant Dean of APRN Programs, Clinical Professor)1 ABSTRACT The rapid integration of artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) into health care necessitates a parallel evolution in nurse practitioner (NP) education. This article examines the imperative for NP programs to incorporate AI literacy, ensuring that graduates are prepared to navigate and lead within AI-enhanced clinical environments. Strategies are presented for embedding AI concepts into curricula, including the use of AI-powered assignments and simulations to foster critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and ethical discernment. Broader pedagogical shifts are explored, emphasizing the need for faculty to adapt teaching methods, reassess assessment models, and embrace emerging technologies with intentionality. Key considerations, such as equity, faculty development, and responsible use, are addressed as essential components of successful integration. By proactively engaging with these challenges, NP educators can prepare students not only to adapt to the changing landscape of health care but also to shape its future with competence, clarity, and care. Keywords: AI literacy; artiﬁcial intelligence; clinical simulation; diagnostic reasoning; educational innovation; nurse practitioner education. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 37 (2025) 491–499, © 2025 American Association of Nurse Practitioners DOI\# 10. 1097/JXX.0000000000001170 Introduction The emergence of generative artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a transformative era across sectors, including health care and higher education (Topaz et al., 2024) . As clinical environments become increasingly data driven and decision making is augmented by intelligent systems, the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce must be prepared not only to navigate this landscape but also to lead within it. This moment of disruption demands more than technical adaptation; it calls for a reimagining of how we educate, assess, and empower the next generation of advanced practice nurses (Rony, Parvin, & Ferdousi, 2024) . Despite rapid technological evolution, many NP education programs have yet to meaningfully integrate AI into their curricula (Raymond et al., 2022) . Traditional educational models—rooted in static content delivery, standardized assessment, and faculty-centered knowledge transmission—are increasingly misaligned with the needs of a profession that now intersects with machine 1University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas Correspondence: Grace H. Sun, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC; E-mail: gsun@ [uttyler.edu](uttyler.edu) Received: 3 April 2025; revised: 5 June 2025; accepted 9 June 2025 learning, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted clinical tools (Ramadan et al., 2024) . Meanwhile, students are encountering these technologies informally and independently, often without guidance on responsible use, ethical implications, or clinical application. This article reinforces an argument ofCastonguay et al.(2023) that AI integration in NP education is not simply an innovation—it is an imperative. Educators must expand their role from content experts to digital guides, fostering not only AI literacy but also critical thinking, ethical discernment, and the professional judgment required in AIenhanced practice settings (Mahmoudi & Moradi, 2024; Ramadan et al., 2024) . Through thoughtful assignment design, simulation innovation, and a renewed approach to pedagogy, faculty can ensure that students are not merely passive consumers of technology but active informed participants in shaping its role in health care (Montejo et al., 2024; Ramrez-Baraldes et al., 2025) . What follows is a synthesis of practical strategies and philosophical considerations for incorporating AI into NP education. Drawing on real-world examples and re

FAQs

Why must NP education incorporate AI literacy?

AI integration in health care creates a need for NP programs to prepare graduates to navigate and lead in AI-enhanced clinical environments. The article frames this as a professional imperative rather than an optional skill.

What teaching strategies does the article propose for AI integration?

The article recommends embedding AI concepts into curricula through AI-powered assignments and clinical simulations. It emphasizes fostering critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and ethical discernment.

How should faculty and assessment practices change?

Faculty are expected to adapt teaching methods and reassess assessment models to align with an AI-integrated future. The article highlights the importance of faculty development and intentional adoption of emerging technologies.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Sarah