Exploring Knowledge, Attitude and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Schools in Plateau State, Nigeria

This study explored the knowledge, attitude and utilization of artificial intelligence in nursing schools in Vom, plateau state, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted in conducting this study. The population of the study comprised 1,500 students and 110 staff in College of Nursing and Midwifery, Vom. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select 450 students (30%) and 50 staff (45%) for the study. A 30-item instrument titled: Knowledge, Attitude and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence Survey was validated and its reliability was established using Cronbach alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.88 which was adjudged good enough for data collection. The questionnaire comprised two parts based on the objectives of the study. Data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed that the general level of understanding about AI among students and staff in College of Nursing and Midwifery Vom, can be said to be extremely limited based on their scores. Also, the positive beliefs in the relevance and appropriateness of AI for nursing education and practice among this group were only occasional at best. Most perceptions regarding AI integration in their field remained fairly skeptical or unsure. It was also found that the top barriers consistently identified among respondents involved a lack of necessary resources and openness to change - both key issues that would need to be addressed for successful AI integration in these nursing programmes. The study concluded that while nursing schools in Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria, have inadequate awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential applications in nursing education, the actual utilization of these technologies remains limited. It is therefore recommended amongst others that Nursing schools should prioritize the investment in robust technological infrastructure, including hardware, software, and reliable internet connectivity, to enable the seamless integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into the educational environment for improvement in healthcare service delivery.