Reimagining critical thinking in the age of AI: Implications for nursing education and practice

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into undergraduate nursing education has prompted significant debate regarding its impact on the development of critical reasoning, inquiry skills, and clinical judgement. While some scholars argue that reliance on GenAI may undermine independent thinking, contextual decision‑making, and autonomous judgement, emerging perspectives suggest that GenAI has the potential to enhance rather than erode these foundational competencies. This commentary examines the evolving role of GenAI in nursing education and argues that its thoughtful integration can strengthen students' preparedness for increasingly complex, technology‑rich clinical environments. Clinical judgement is central to safe nursing practice and is shaped by the nurse's interpretation of patient needs, contextual factors, and professional reasoning. While GenAI can synthesize large amounts of information efficiently, it does not replace human judgement; instead, it provides data that students must interpret within ethical, relational, and contextual dimensions of care. Integrating GenAI into educational contexts allows students to engage with realistic, data‑driven scenarios that mirror contemporary practice environments, supporting deeper analytical thinking and the ability to critique algorithmic outputs and biases. At the same time, the use of GenAI raises epistemological tensions between nursing's humanistic ways of knowing and AI's computational logic. These tensions underscore concerns that tacit knowledge, ethical reasoning, and patient‑centered judgement may be marginalized if GenAI tools are used uncritically. Addressing this challenge requires adapting nursing theory and curriculum to incorporate digital epistemologies while maintaining the profession's ethical and relational foundations. This commentary concludes that rather than discouraging GenAI use, nursing education must embrace it deliberately and ethically. Through intentional curriculum design, faculty development, and emphasis on AI literacy, educators can ensure that nursing students emerge as competent, reflective practitioners capable of navigating GenAI‑enabled healthcare environments with confidence and integrity. • GenAI use can enhance nursing students' clinical judgement development. • GenAI supports analysis of complex, data-rich clinical learning scenarios. • Educators must teach AI literacy to strengthen critical reasoning skills.