​

Hello again and welcome to week 2 of this series on AI and nursing education.

Here is where we are:

​Week 1 - Introduction​

Week 2 - [🌟THIS EMAIL] Independent Inquiry​
​

​
This week, I want to share ideas about the importance of doing your own independent inquiry. In the same way we teach our students the first step in the nursing process, we can begin by gathering information, noticing, interviewing, and assessing. Any encounter with a new teaching tool or technology should be the same - start with assessment.
​

Be Curious

I think there will be about three to five years where everyone is sorting out how to use AI. Here is a graph from the McKinsey Global Institute. The midpoint for automated work has shifted ahead ten years since a 2017 estimate, and this is due to generative AI.

​
​

This is a unique time. I propose that we do not approach it with fear but instead with curiosity. Allow yourself to explore, investigate, go down some rabbit holes, and imagine possibilities. Curiosity is the driving force behind innovation. It allows us to question norms, access new knowledge, uncover hidden connections, and solve complex problems. Being curious will spark creativity, encourage us to grow and expand beyond our comfort zone, and ultimately move nursing education forward.

​

Types of Tools Available

What if we considered AI as a tool to enhance our work? The wide range of tools and applications can revolutionize the way we teach. But I want to give a quick disclaimer. Below, I will share a few interesting tools that I found in my own independent inquiry, but I am not associated with them or promoting them in any way. The idea here is to imagine—daydream about how these tools could look within our discipline of nursing education. Think about how they could fit into your unique content. Many are not quite there yet for higher education and nursing education, but it won't be long. And I can see the potential.

📝 Adaptive, personalized learning - giving feedback and guidance while adapting the difficulty to each student's individual learning needs.

• Check out Khan Academy's Khanmigo. This AI model is currently available to tutor the K12 crowd, but how amazing would this be to have for nursing education? Students get more practice and coaching if a foundational skill is not mastered.

⏲️ Time efficiency - Imagine an alternative format AI-generated test question created from the content on a slide in your lecture. Or think about the potential time saved if AI could review care plans. Or what if it could coordinate clinical scheduling for students and instructors? This type of technology would save hours upon hours of our time.

• Check out Formative's auto-generated hints and questions feature. It can analyze the content on your slide and create an alternative format question and hint.
• Read about Flexwise, an AI-powered software that can predict staffing needs.
• See how Typhon Group uses AI to map the curriculum and assist with clinical scheduling.

🏓 Gamification - AI can potentially improve engagement and motivation, especially in long, technical lecture sections, by offering gamification elements.

• Check out ClassPoint's gamification features that reward students to increase engagement.

🏥 Changes at the clinical site

• Students may interact with a robot who helps with non-patient-facing tasks on the unit - Read about Moxi.

Virtual reality and augmented reality are separate use cases that will also influence our simulation labs considerably. If anyone has insight into these tools or what is currently being investigated by your department, please email me, and I can compile a list of these resources as well.

​
The spirit of experimentation

If your current feelings are bouncing between inspiration, awe, and fear, just know that you are not alone. Over the next few years, we will all spend time learning, listening, and experimenting. Start by exploring different AI tools and applications that align with your teaching objectives. Attend workshops that your campus offers or online webinars. Listen to what your students are using and what they find helpful, and check it out. Don't be afraid to create and experiment by trying out a video creation tool or generating a lesson plan using AI. Experimenting with various tools allows you to discover what works best for your teaching style and students' needs.

But here is the critical reality - things are changing. We can no longer do what we have been doing. I think that this sense of change has been growing since before the pandemic, before AI, with the Next-Gen NCLEX, the resources available on social media, and simulation. But the truth is that AI will accelerate the need for change.

In subsequent emails in this series, I will explore what I feel is the mindset shift we need to embrace and share ideas for an evaluation evolution that you can start using now.

Above all, be curious.