AI-driven Design Thinking and Service-Learning enhance nursing students’ evidence-based competencies in family healthcare delivery

Abstract

Introduction: The integration of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) into nursing education faces challenges in linking theory to clinical application in complex family health contexts. Students struggle with efficiently accessing, appraising, and applying evidence influenced by sociocultural factors. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential but requires pedagogical design to foster critical thinking and ethical use beyond technical skills.Method: An action research with mixed methods was conducted with 100 nursing students. The intervention had four phases: participatory family diagnosis, AI-assisted evidence retrieval and validation, community educational workshops design and execution, and multi-level evaluation.Results: A significant shift in AI use from basic to strategic, with a 40% reduction in literature search time. Qualitative data revealed enhanced critical awareness and ethical reasoning, while quantitative results indicated 90% of students improved critical appraisal skills and 70% felt more confident in evidence-based decisions. The project impacted 100 families, with 90% trusting evidence-based recommendations.Conclusions: Integrating AI in experiential pedagogies like Design Thinking and Service-Learning effectively develops nursing competencies, ensuring technology adoption supports context-sensitive family health learning outcomes.