Artificial Intelligence Literacy, Critical Thinking Disposition, and Clinical Competence Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare, AI literacy and critical thinking disposition are recognized as important competencies for nursing students in rapidly changing clinical environments. This study aimed to examine the associations of AI literacy and critical thinking disposition with clinical competence among nursing students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 nursing students with clinical practice experience who were enrolled in nine nursing colleges located in D City and K Province, Republic of Korea. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS/WIN 25.0. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffé post hoc tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Satisfaction with clinical practice (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), critical thinking disposition (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), AI literacy (β = 0.23, p = 0.001), and academic year (β = 0.15, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with clinical competence. The model explained 40% of the variance in clinical competence (R2 = 0.40, adjusted R2 = 0.39, F = 26.11, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings indicate that critical thinking disposition and AI literacy were significantly associated with clinical competence among nursing students. Nursing education may therefore consider strategies that address both competencies.