Authors

  1. Seney, Valerie PhD, MA, LMHC, PMHNP-BC
  2. Desroches, Melissa L. PhD, RN, CNE
  3. Schuler, Monika S. PhD, FNP-BC, CNE

Article Content

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence application that synthesizes massive amounts of internet data to generate human-like responses to user-entered prompts. The implications for nursing education have not yet been determined; however, it is postulated that ChatGPT can be used to explain difficult concepts, organize student time and assignments, generate patient scenarios, and practice NCLEX-style questions. However, a review of ChatGPT NCLEX-style questions revealed a focus primarily on prioritization rather than the recognition of assessment cues, identification of problems, implementation of interventions, and evaluation of outcomes. One teaching strategy to encourage clinical judgment in the age of ChatGPT would be to ask students to create a case study based on a ChatGPT-generated NCLEX question about a given concept. Students can then identify assessment cues that lead to problem identification for the given interventions posed by the ChatGPT NCLEX question and develop evaluation strategies to ensure the outcomes were met. Students must provide associated rationales and references to support their clinical judgment as ChatGPT does not typically provide rationale and references in its output. Student feedback using this teaching strategy revealed students were surprised by the ChatGPT functionality; however, they stated that it was vague, not at the level of NCLEX thinking, and easy to answer. ChatGPT can therefore be used as a starting point for students to generate more complex scenarios reflecting the complexity of nursing care and clinical judgment.