AN INVESTIGATION OF NURSING STUDENTS' NOMOPHOBIA, NETLESSPHOBIA AND READINESS LEVELS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

This study aims to examine university students' nomophobia, netlessphobia, and medical artificial intelligence (AI) readiness levels and the relationship between these factors. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with nursing students at a university. The data were collected online via the “Individual Descriptive Characteristics Form”, “Fırat Nomophobia Scale”, “Fırat Netlessphobia Scale” and “Medical Artificial Intelligence Preparedness Scale” forms. The median, frequency and nonparametric tests were used to analyze the data. A total of 138 students participated in the study between August 1-31, 2024. The results indicated that both nomophobia and netlessphobia levels were moderate, as was readiness for medical AI. Nomophobia levels were significantly higher among students who reported longer daily mobile phone use. A strong positive correlation was found between nomophobia and netlessphobia (r:0.755; p=0.00), while no significant relationship was observed between either factor or readiness for medical AI (p>0.05). Gender and grade level were found to have no significant effect on these variables (p>0.05). The findings suggest that while nomophobia increases netlessphobia, neither is associated with medical AI readiness. The study highlights that prolonged phone or internet use does not enhance students' preparedness for medical AI. Based on these results, it is recommended to implement awareness programs in universities to reduce digital addiction, increase training related to medical AI, and offer psychosocial support for students. Future studies should focus on larger sample sizes and long-term follow-ups to explore the impact of digital addiction and evolving attitudes toward AI over time.