Attitudes of Moroccan nursing students toward artificial intelligence: Implications for simulation-based education

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform modern healthcare, preparing future nurses to engage confidently with these technologies has become a pedagogical priority. Understanding students’ attitudes toward AI is essential for designing curricula that not only enhance technical competencies but also address ethical and professional challenges. Simulation-based learning (SBL) offers a particularly valuable context for this integration, as it allows students to practice clinical reasoning and decision-making in risk-free environments while interacting with emerging technologies. This study aimed to assess Moroccan nursing students’ attitudes toward AI and to explore the potential benefits of integrating AI into SBL. A multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and May 2025, including 307 nursing students recruited from four large public institutes and their annexes across Morocco. Data were collected online using the validated General Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence (GATAI) scale. The analysis revealed predominantly positive perceptions: over 70% of students acknowledged AI’s potential to improve care quality, enhance efficiency, and support clinical decision-making, while 65% expressed willingness to integrate AI into their future professional practice. Nevertheless, ambivalence and concerns were evident, with nearly half of respondents remaining neutral about AI’s practical benefits and more than 40% expressing apprehensions about ethical and safety issues. Favorable attitudes were more frequently reported among women, senior students, and those with prior exposure to AI tools. These findings highlight both enthusiasm and caution, suggesting that students recognize AI’s potential while remaining aware of its limitations. The results underscore the urgent need to integrate AI-focused content into nursing curricula, particularly through experiential learning strategies such as SBL, which can simultaneously develop technical proficiency and critical reflection on ethical and legal implications. The integration of AI into simulation-based education can enhance digital competencies, strengthen clinical expertise, and prepare nursing graduates to deliver safe, high-quality patient care in an evolving healthcare landscape.