A systematic review examined 25 studies involving nursing education learners who used AI chatbots. These studies looked at how the technology affected learning and digital interactions. The research covered a wide range of settings, mostly in Asia, with study durations ranging from a few hours to three months. Individual study sizes varied between 16 and 457 participants.
The review found that chatbots often provided assistance, personalized responses, and conversed in a human-like way. They were also good at distilling information and helping students feel familiar with the technology. However, the studies did not find strong evidence that these tools ensured privacy or facilitated learning in other specific ways.
Regarding learning gains, the evidence was mixed. Many studies showed improvements in cognitive areas like learning achievement and critical thinking. However, several studies reported no significant improvement in knowledge acquisition or clinical reasoning. There was also limited evidence that these tools improved learners' confidence or satisfaction. The overall certainty of the evidence remains inconclusive.