The Licensure-Competency Chasm
Nursing has evolved throughout the decades to keep up with the changes driven by technology and now it is nursing education’s turn to follow suit. Historically, nursing education was anchored in lectures and clinical placements limited by location and availability. While elements of this still exist and are impactful, there are areas of the traditional nursing education structure that struggle to keep pace with the dynamic realities of what nurses’ face in modern patient care.
Students may graduate with theoretical knowledge but have insufficient hands-on experience, contributing to gaps in confidence and competence as they enter the workforce. Compounded by an increasingly aging population of experienced nurses looking to exit the workforce in the next decade, this mismatch can have real consequences for both patient safety and job retention among early-career nurses.
Research indicates that augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies foster the development of practical skills and deeper understanding of complex concepts. Yet, many nursing programs remain constrained by access to clinical sites, patient diversity and qualified preceptors. In this context, technology-enhanced simulation is not just a flashy, fun tool—it is a strategic imperative to arm new nurses with the knowledge and experience they need to succeed. With this in mind, we must find new avenues for effective preparation for new nurses. Enter AI-powered simulation.
Bullish on Potential but Hesitant on Deployment
AI has disrupted nearly every industry, offering powerful, time-saving, and cost-reducing solutions. Yet in healthcare, adoption remains cautious due to logistical, regulator, and cultural barriers. Wolters Kluwer Health’s 2025 Future Ready Healthcare survey found that while organizations remain enthusiastic about what they can soon achieve with GenAI, there’s a disconnect between how prepared they are to actually deliver on this potential. That said, one area where AI is breaking through hype to create real impact is nursing education—where the integration of conversational AI into virtual clinical simulations is optimizing learning and building critical skills for new nurses.
AI and immersive learning environments can improve motivation, engagement, and knowledge retention. While conversational AI has already permeated many sectors, its role in healthcare training is evolving quickly. AI systems are increasingly capable of delivering nuanced, adaptive interactions, and when paired with virtual reality-based clinical experiences, this technology can offer an unprecedented opportunity to transform how we prepare nursing students for frontline practice.
What Can Conversational AI Really Add?
When thoughtfully integrated by nursing programs and leveraged by trained faculty, simulation platforms featuring conversational AI allow for on-demand, adaptable and diverse learning experience. In fact, high-quality simulation could replace up to 50% of the traditional clinical hours for prelicensure nursing students without negative impact. Emerging AI systems can emulate patient interactions, respond to nuanced verbal cues and adapt scenarios based on student choices in real time. This level of responsiveness helps students sharpen both their clinical decision-making and communication skills, which are notoriously difficult to master through traditional training alone.
Unlike passive or static simulations, the integration of responsive AI into training programs also facilitates an immediate feedback loop, enabling continuous learning through trial and error. Faculty can leverage plug-and-play teaching tools to enhance their curriculum and mix life-like care scenarios with evidence-based content. Students, meanwhile, are immersed in multi-patient scenarios that sharpen their skills under pressure in a safe-to-fail environment. The result: students who are not only more prepared, but also more confident when facing real-life clinical situations.
Early adopters of this technology like North Carolina Central University are already seeing tangible results. With the integration of conversational AI into its VR clinical simulations, NCCU has been able to equip students with the skills and confidence to excel in nursing. NCCU’s students are now engaging in realistic patient interactions that historically have been limited by time and physical location of a student’s scheduled clinicals.
A Bright Outlook: Personalized Learning and Intelligent Feedback Loops
In an increasingly complex care landscape, healthcare leaders and educators have a responsibility to equip the next generation of nurses with more than knowledge. As educators, we must cultivate adaptability, critical thinking and the confidence to persevere in uncertainty. Integrating conversational AI and clinical simulation technology is the next step towards hyper-personalized learning experiences that adapt to each student’s pace, strengths and gaps. Healthcare leaders who invest in AI-driven simulation today will be best positioned to build a resilient, practice-ready nursing workforce tomorrow.
Kelly J. Dries, PhD, RN
Kelly J. Dries, PhD, RN, is a transformational nurse educator and strategic leader with over 29 years of experience advancing nursing education. As Director of Nursing Program Success at Wolters Kluwer and host of the Lippincott Spark podcast, she champions innovation and amplifies voices shaping the future of the profession. Dr. Dries has led pioneering initiatives to expand access and address workforce shortages, including Wisconsin’s first Concurrent Enrollment nursing program. Her leadership spans academic institutions and national consulting, with scholarly contributions focused on transformational leadership, trauma-informed teaching, civility, and AI in nursing education.
Dr. Tina Scott
Tina Scott DNP, PMC-NE, CHSE, RN, is experiential learning center director, department of nursing at North Carolina Central University. She brings over 20 years of nursing experience across diverse hospital and clinical settings and 12 years in academia. She has demonstrated a deep commitment to nursing, focusing primarily on adult health care. Dr. Scott is a proud alumna of the University of South Carolina and East Carolina University. She is actively involved in several professional organizations, reflecting her commitment to leadership and community service. Her dedication to helping others succeed and transforming communities underscores her impactful career.
