Communication Pedagogy

Background: The educational experiences of current nursing students, shaped by unprecedented access to advanced technologies, have made face-to-face communication and therapeutic relationship-building more challenging. Purpose: This qualitative study evaluated the effectiveness, usability, and trustworthiness of a generative AI tool in helping nursing students improve communication in emotionally intense situations. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used for this two-group design comparing nursing students’ perceptions of AI-generated empathic responses to clinical vignettes of psychosocial and behavioral health challenges commonly encountered in acute care nursing practice. Results: Qualitative analysis identified 4 categories (emotional appropriateness, clinical safety, practical utility, and transparency) demonstrating AI’s opportunity and challenge for therapeutic communication skill development. Conclusion: This study demonstrates AI’s potential to support therapeutic communication practices and the critical appraisal of AI-generated responses in nursing education, although its effective integration requires faculty training and oversight to maximize pedagogical value.