Effect of GenAI Patient Simulation on Clinical Preparedness and Clinical Competence in Nursing Students

The transition from theoretical knowledge to clinical practice is a critical and challenging phase for nursing students. Limited opportunities for scenario-based learning before an clinical practicum impacts students' preparedness for practice and clinical competence. Consequently, this lack of preparation directly fuels stress, creating a a negative feedback loop where this stress inhibits cognitive processing and effective learning. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a novel educational technology capable of providing interactive, flexible, and learner-centred simulation experiences. This waitlist randomised controlled trial aims to examine the effectiveness of incorporating the GenAI patient simulation in preparing the undergraduate nursing students for clinical practicum and enhancing the clinical competence compared to the current practice. Hypotheses of this study include: 1. Participants using the GenAI patient simulation will report higher preparedness for the first acute clinical practicum (CP) and higher clinical competence scores compared to the usual practice group at all time points. 2. The frequency of using the GenAI patient simulation will be positively correlated with preparedness for the CP and clinical competence. 3. Participants using the GenAI patient simulation will report lower perceived stress before and during the CP compared to the usual practice group. 4. The frequency of using of the GenAI patient simulation will negatively correlate with the levels of perceived stress before and during the CP.