As artificial intelligence becomes more widely used across healthcare settings, Galen College of Nursing is dedicated to ensuring students are prepared to interact responsibly with emerging technology when they graduate and enter the workforce.
In January 2026, Galen began requiring all new pre‑licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students to complete a course titled Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy.
The course helps nursing students build confidence with AI tools, so they’re prepared for modern nursing practice while staying grounded in ethical, compassionate care.
Dr. Shanti Srinivas, EdD, Chair of Galen’s Arts & Sciences department, led the process of creating the new AI course, and completed it within six months. Requiring ADN and BSN students to enroll in the course during their first term was intentional.
“The college wanted nursing students to have AI knowledge right from the get-go,” Srinivas said. “The idea was for students to learn about AI in their first quarter and develop their AI and digital skills throughout their time at Galen.”
By teaching responsible AI use at the start of the nursing journey, Galen helps students build essential critical‑thinking and digital‑literacy skills. Many students may already use AI tools in their daily lives, but they may not have considered how to use them appropriately in personal or professional settings.
“What was important for us was teaching them that it’s okay to use AI, but how to use it ethically and responsibly, as outlined in the Galen guidelines,” Srinivas said.
The 11-week course focuses on helping students understand what AI is, and what it isn’t. Students learn how to evaluate AI-generated content, review AI ethics using case studies, and how they can responsibly apply AI to academic work. Additionally, students learn the importance of data privacy, confidentiality, and patient safety when using AI tools.
“As healthcare becomes increasingly technology-driven, nurses must develop a foundational understanding of AI concepts, including digital literacy, data privacy, ethics, and algorithmic bias, which can lead to health disparities — all core skills introduced in the AID 1040/1080 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy,” said Jennifer L. Stewart, PhD, Dean of Arts & Sciences, Professor of Pharmacology. “By equipping students with AI literacy, every Galen nurse will be better prepared to embrace, evaluate, and use AI-powered tools, with a focus on compassion and patient-centered care while meeting the evolving technological demands of modern healthcare.”
The course itself doesn’t teach students how to use a single tool, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI. Instead, students learn to use a variety of tools professionally, so they are better prepared to use them during the rest of their nursing education journey and beyond.
While technological advancements have heavily impacted the nursing profession, the core of nursing – providing compassionate care to patients – is still the same.
Students learn that while AI can be a helpful tool, it also carries risks, especially when it comes to misinformation, bias, and over‑reliance. Understanding those risks builds confidence, and confidence directly impacts how nurses care for others.
“When you have confidence in what you do, it leads to more compassion,” Srinivas explained. “These values don’t exist independently. They are interdependent.”
Rather than teaching students to blindly trust AI output, the course emphasizes critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and accountability. Students are encouraged to question results, verify information, and apply their own professional judgment before taking action.
One of the key ways that both students and faculty can track the course’s success is through a self-assessment, completed at the start and at the end of the term. Students evaluate their understanding of AI at each point, and by the end, students can see the progress they’ve made. The goal is that by week ten, students will grade themselves as AI literate. The data showed a significant increase from week 1 to week 10 scores. Through one quarter, Srinivas says the early feedback on the course has been only positive.
“Faculty loved it and students loved it,” she said.
As the healthcare environment changes with the adoption of innovative technology, Galen wants to stay on the cutting edge while continuing to educate competent, confident, and compassionate nurses.
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