Promoting ethical AI use in education: a training initiative to support academic integrity and clinical practice

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly accessible to students for academic writing. Last academic year, the Nursing and Midwifery Department noted a rise in referrals to the Academic Integrity Tutor (AIT) due to suspected AI use. While the mere use of AI doesn't inherently indicate plagiarism, some students had relied on it to compose significant portions of their written work, with a few using it to write entire essays. During viva examinations, it became clear that these students were unaware of the implications for academic integrity, especially concerning the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018). In response, the department introduced training sessions during the induction for second- and third-year BSc Adult Nursing students. This initiative resulted in fewer AIT referrals and improved adherence to ethical AI use. Teaching students, the responsible use of AI will also better equip them for clinical practice, where AI integration is rapidly growing (Lane et al., 2024). This presentation aims to discuss the training initiative used within Nursing and Midwifery and offer insights to help academics in other fields adopt similar strategies.