Few nursing students in Erbil, Iraq had formal AI training and some feared losing skills

Study title: Nursing Students' Awareness, Perceptions, and Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: A Cross-Sectional Study in Erbil, Iraq

A descriptive survey at Cihan University-Erbil in Iraq asked 175 nursing students about their awareness, use, and views of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Most were aware of AI and over half had already used it, and many were optimistic about its potential for patient care and communication.

Read the study abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing healthcare delivery and nursing education. Understanding nursing students' perceptions is important for preparing future professionals to use AI responsibly. Objective: To assess nursing students' awareness, experiences, perceptions, and training needs concerning artificial intelligence in healthcare. Methods: A descriptive, survey-based study was conducted among 175 nursing students at Cihan University-Erbil, Iraq. Data were collected using a 22-it…

By the Truvace deskOctober 26, 20261 min read1 sourceEvidence: Moderate · 50/100 — Survey · n = 175 · 1 independent sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-2257· cite & verify

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In brief

The results suggest nursing programs may be sending students into AI-influenced workplaces without enough structured preparation. Because the study is a single-institution questionnaire of attitudes, it does not show how AI training affects actual clinical practice or patient outcomes.

Main points

81.7% of the 175 surveyed nursing students were aware of AI, and 56.6% reported having used it.
64.6% thought deep learning-based AI could improve patient care.
68.0% saw AI as a way to ease communication across language barriers.
Only 30.3% had formal AI training, while 63.4% said more training was necessary.

The problem

Only a minority of surveyed nursing students had formal AI training, and students worried that heavy reliance on AI could erode human nursing skills.

The rundown

The study used a 22-item closed-ended questionnaire with nursing students at Cihan University-Erbil, Iraq, and summarized the answers with descriptive statistics.

Students were generally positive about AI applications, but they also raised concern that excessive dependence could reduce human nursing skills.

The authors conclude that structured AI education, ethical guidance, and continued human oversight are needed, and they recommend further research across multiple institutions.