This study aimed to examine the effects of nurses’ professional self-concept, artificial intelligence ethics awareness, and artificial intelligence literacy on their ethical nursing competence. The purpose of this study was to provide foundational d...
This study aimed to examine the effects of nurses’ professional self-concept, artificial intelligence ethics awareness, and artificial intelligence literacy on their ethical nursing competence. The purpose of this study was to provide foundational data for developing AI ethics education and AI-based clinical application strategies to improve ethical nursing competence in clinical settings.
Data collection for this study was conducted from September 18 to October 20, 2025, after obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board of Ulsan University Hospital. A total of 243 nurses participated in this study. Participants were recruited from six hospitals, including three tertiary hospitals and three general hospitals located in U, B, and D metropolitan cities, and data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires consisted of 124 items assessing participants’ general characteristics and AI-related characteristics, professional self-concept, AI ethics awareness, AI literacy, and ethical nursing competence. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.2 for frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA with Scheffé post-hoc tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analyses.
The results of this study are as follows.
1. The mean score for professional self-concept was 2.82±0.28 out of 4 points. Among the subdomains, “Ethics” showed the highest mean score (3.39±0.45), followed by “Self-development and leadership” (2.89±0.35), “Professional practice” (2.76±0.31), and “Satisfaction” (2.69±0.34). The mean score for AI ethics awareness was 3.34±0.32 out of 5 points. “Responsibility” was the highest (4.09±0.43), followed by “Transparency and Explainability” (3.99±0.54), “Employment” (3.89±0.58), “People centric service” (3.32±0.61), “Permit and limit” (3.19±0.61), “No Discrimination” (2.85±0.57), “Stabilityand Reliability” (2.75±0.67), and “AI rights” (2.64±0.73). The mean score for AIliteracy was 3.01±0.54 out of 5 points. Among the subdomains, “AI Utilization” had the highest score (3.41±0.61), followed by “AI Understanding” (3.08±0.65), “AI Ethics”(3.06±0.73), and “AI development” (2.48±0.62). The mean score for Ethical nursingcompetence was 3.13±0.32 out of 4 points. In the subdomains, “Ethical behavior” was the highest (3.21±0.39), followed by “Ethical decision making and action” (3.15±0.35), “Ethical sensitivity” (3.09±0.40), “Ethical knowledge” (3.07±0.43), and “Ethical reflection” (2.96±0.50).
2. Ethical nursing competence showed significant differences according to the participants’ general characteristics in terms of gender (Z = −3.03, p = .002), marital status (t = 3.02,p < .001), education level (χ² = 11.92, p = .039), type of workplace (t = 2.15, p = .032), and total clinical experience (F = 5.49, p = .001). Regarding AI-related characteristics, Ethical nursing competence showed significant differences based on completion of AI ethics education (t = 1.69, p = .028) and the timing of AI ethics education (t = 3.40, p = .003).
3. Ethical nursing competence was positively correlated with professional self-concept (r = .572, p < .001), AI ethics awareness (r = .256, p < .001), and AI literacy (r = .351, p < .001). AI literacy was also positively correlated with professional self-concept (r = .346, p < .001) and AI ethics awareness (r = .188, p = .004), whereas AI ethics awareness did not show a statistically significant correlation with professional self-concept (r = .095, p = .148).
4. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influencing ethical nursing competence. In Model I, which included only general characteristics and AI-related characteristics, the explanatory power was 11.4%, and the regression model was statistically significant (F = 4.272, p < .001). Ethical nursing competence was higher among male nurses (β = .131, p = .044) and among those with a master’s degree or higher compared to those who completed a four-year nursing university program (β = .193, p = .009).
In Model II, which added the main variables—professional self-concept, AI ethics awareness, and AI literacy—the explanatory power increased to 43.3%. This regression model was also statistically significant (F = 15.568, p < .001), and the change in the explanatory power of the model was also significant (△R² = .314, p < .001). Professional self-concept (β = .528, p < .001), AI ethics awareness (β = .144, p = .006), less than 3 years of clinical experience (β = .192, p = .033), and being male (β = .107, p = .041) were identified as significant factors influencing ethical nursing competence in Model II.
This study identified professional self-concept and AI ethics awareness as influencing factors of ethical nursing competence. Therefore, to strengthen nurses’ ethical decision-making capabilities within clinical environments where AI utilization is expanding, educational programs focusing on professional values and AI ethics are required. In addition, such programs should be tailored to clinical practice to enhance their applicability and effectiveness in real-world nursing settings.