Nursing Education in the AI Era: Practical Guidance for Educators to Advance Equitable Care

This book provides a groundbreaking approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that enhance learning, bridge the gap between theory and clinical practice, and ultimately prepare learners to deliver safe, equitable, and high-quality patient care. With structured, practical guidance tailored to the needs of nurse educators and administrators, it offers solutions to critical challenges in nursing education and practice, such as reducing medical errors, promoting equity, and enhancing practice readiness. Through clear organization and real-world case studies, the book provides actionable insights into using AI-driven tools that include adaptive learning platforms, virtual patient simulations, and AI-based tutoring systems to foster critical thinking, enhance clinical decision-making, and support targeted skill development.

By highlighting the opportunities and challenges of AI in nursing, each chapter provides critical competencies, ethical considerations, and practical tools, empowering educators to effectively adopt AI. Real-world case studies, evidence-based approaches, and scenario-based learning exercises illustrate how to teach skills while leveraging AI tools in ways that promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This integrated approach ensures that learners employ AI technology responsibly, preparing them to provide socially just and equitable care in a rapidly changing healthcare arena.

Filling a critical gap for nursing professionals navigating the rapidly changing landscape of AI. This book combines ethics with innovation ensuring that AI use aligns with nursing’s core values. One of the first texts to comprehensively address AI in nursing education with a focus on health equity, it stands out as an essential resource for developing future-ready nursing professionals. Whether seasoned AI users or newcomers, readers will benefit from this book’s emphasis on actionable insights, accessible AI literacy, and its commitment to advancing nursing education. Indeed this book is an invaluable resource for those committed to shaping a more innovative and equitable future in nursing by ensuring that AI enhances rather than disrupts the vital human element at the core of nursing.

Dr. Delaney La Rosa, EdD, MSN Ed, RN, is a Teaching Professor at Florida State University’s College of Nursing, entrepreneur, and the founder of the AI Nurse Nexus; as a speaker and consultant, they drive practical AI solutions that advance equitable healthcare. They support FSU’s Nursing and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium (NAIIC) and lead an ongoing Health Equity Influencers Program (HEIP) on responsible AI implementation. With cross-industry experience, they have spent over a decade developing and testing AI solutions. A former Steinbronn Endowed Professor in Artificial Intelligence, their scholarship spans AI-supported research, inclusive pedagogy, and curricular evaluation. They are the first editor of Nursing Education in the AI Era, keynote speaker, and consultant. As a Native American, they believe ethical technology design and utilization can sustain both culture and care.

Dr. Danica Fulbright Sumpter, PhD, RN, CNE, FADLN, is a nationally recognized nurse educator, consultant, and health equity advocate. As Chief Education, Equity, and Wellness Officer at CS Innovations and Access, Connection, and Engagement Consultant for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, she leads initiatives that integrate equity, innovation, and well-being across nursing and healthcare systems. A former Clinical Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, she develops faculty capacity for anti-racist and equity-informed teaching. A Certified Nurse Educator and Josiah Macy Faculty Scholar, Dr. Sumpter earned her MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work continues to shape nursing education and advance health equity through systemic change.

Dr. Sally Carlisle, DNP, RN, CNE, is Director of Professional Development and Academic Excellence at Mercy University’s School of Nursing, where she leads initiatives that advance faculty development, curriculum innovation, and equitable assessment practices across nursing programs. A nationally recognized leader in nursing education, Dr. Carlisle’s scholarship centers on inclusive pedagogy, clinical judgment, and the integration of evidence-based teaching strategies that enhance student learning and assessment outcomes. Her Implicit Bias and Patient Outcomes video has been widely used by educators and clinicians to strengthen awareness of bias and its impact on care quality. As co-director of the AI Nurse Nexus, Dr. Carlisle champions the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in nursing education and practice. Through her leadership, she continues to influence how nursing prepares future practitioners for equitable, data-informed, and human-centered healthcare delivery in an evolving digital landscape.

Dr. Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FADLN, FAAN, is the inaugural Dean and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy University’s School of Nursing and former Chair of the NY State Board of Nursing. A 2012 Macy Faculty Scholar, she founded the Center for Multicultural Education and Health Disparities, co-produced healthcare disparity segments on WBAI-FM, and was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement. She served as a reviewer for the Future of Nursing’s 2020-2030 report and is recognized for advancing health equity across education and practice settings. Dr. Beard created the Health Equity Influencer Program for Nurse Educators, emphasizing the use of AI to transform nursing education. She serves on several boards, is a fellow of the NY Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing, the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, and the Academy of Nursing Education. She was the inaugural president of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing. Her enduring impact on nursing earned her the prestigious 2025 Mary Elizabeth Carnegie Leadership Award.