Nursing Students Using Generative AI for Theses Report Benefits and

All 19 undergraduate nursing students interviewed in a recent study said they used generative artificial intelligence (AI) while working on their graduation theses. The researchers found 38 different themes, grouped into three main areas: students' feelings, practical problems, and how they thought about and judged AI-assisted academic writing.

The researchers held semi-structured interviews between April 30 and May 31, 2026. They selected 19 undergraduate nursing students from a medical college and its affiliated hospital in China using convenience sampling. The hospital had approved the study through its ethics review process.

The research team studied the interview transcripts using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method. The researchers also held meetings to discuss their findings, agree on their meaning, and group the collected information into categories.

Writing an undergraduate graduation thesis involves several steps: choosing a topic, preparing a research proposal, collecting and studying data, and writing the final paper. Nursing students often face problems during these steps. These include having little experience with academic writing, not knowing enough about how to find and judge research papers, and having limited statistical analysis skills. Another challenge is that supervisors cannot always provide regular, personal guidance throughout the whole process.

Students said they often used generative AI and found it helpful. They reported that it made their work faster, helped them organize their ideas and plan their papers, and supported their academic writing. However, they also experienced changes in their emotions and faced several practical problems at different stages of writing their theses.

Students also raised important concerns about using generative AI. They said it could produce stiff-sounding language, invent research papers or references, and lead to academic misconduct. Based on these findings, the researchers said nursing teachers should set clear rules for using AI. They should also provide support at each stage of the thesis process, including help with research methods and students' emotional well-being.

The study was carried out because researchers had found little qualitative research showing how nursing students use and experience generative AI throughout the entire thesis-writing process. Although this technology may offer new ways to help students with their academic work, writing a nursing thesis remains challenging. Students must choose a topic, prepare a proposal, collect and analyze data, and write the final paper. These difficulties are made worse by the fact that supervisors cannot provide continuous, personalized help throughout the research process.

To study these challenges, the researchers collected first-hand accounts from 19 undergraduate nursing students recruited through convenience sampling at a medical college in China and its affiliated hospital. The interviews took place between April 30 and May 31, 2026, after the hospital approved the study through its ethics review process. The interviews used open-ended questions to understand the students' experiences of writing their theses. The research team studied the transcripts using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method and also held group discussions to agree on how to organize the findings. This process identified 38 themes in three main areas: students' feelings, practical problems, and their thoughts and judgments about AI-assisted writing.

The findings show that students had both positive and negative experiences with AI. All 19 students said they had used generative AI tools, but they also described changes in their emotions and repeated practical difficulties. They believed the technology helped them finish tasks faster, organize their ideas, and write academic papers. However, these benefits came with serious concerns about the research process and academic honesty. In particular, students worried that AI might create false references, produce language that sounded unnatural, or lead to academic misconduct. To reduce these risks, the researchers said nursing teachers should set clear rules for AI use. They should also provide research guidance and emotional support at different stages of the graduation thesis process.

Subject of Research: How undergraduate nursing students use generative artificial intelligence when writing their theses

Article Title: Undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of conducting graduation theses and using generative artificial intelligence: a qualitative study

Article References: Yin, Y., Hu, Y., Wang, T., Long, J., & Li, L. (2026). Undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of conducting graduation theses and using generative artificial intelligence: a qualitative study. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10698-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10698-6

Keywords: nursing education, generative artificial intelligence, undergraduate theses, qualitative research, academic writing, academic misconduct, medical education, Colaizzi method, Undergraduate, nursing, students, experiences