WALTHAM, Mass. — A new national survey of nursing education leaders reveals that colleges and universities are poised to more than double their use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the classroom over the next two to three years. Conducted by Wolters Kluwer Health in partnership with the National League for Nursing (NLN), the study offers insight into how technology is reshaping nursing education in response to workforce demands and a growing need for clinical preparedness.
According to the 2025 edition of the Future of Technology in Nursing Education survey, just 17% of nursing programs currently use GenAI. However, 45% of respondents indicated plans to implement GenAI tools within the next two to three years, with that number rising to nearly half of all institutions over the next four to five years. Larger programs, those enrolling more than 150 students, are leading the way, with 60% actively planning for GenAI integration, compared to 46% of smaller institutions.
Julie Stegman, Vice President of Wolters Kluwer Health Learning & Practice, said the findings underscore the growing role of GenAI in both educational and clinical settings. “Much like the care settings these students will soon be joining, academia is finding the most appropriate places to start integrating AI for time and resource savings,” she said. “The pressing need for more practice-ready and clinically competent nurses is driving the adoption of these technologies.”
The survey also found significant growth in the use of virtual reality (VR) as part of clinical simulation. In 2020, just 15% of institutions used VR technology. That figure has nearly doubled to 29% in 2024, with more than half of respondents reporting plans to incorporate VR into their programs in the next two to three years. Additionally, 60% of schools said they expect to increase their current investment in VR tools, reflecting a broader trend toward immersive, hands-on learning environments.
Virtual simulation, which surged during the pandemic to supplement remote learning, has stabilized in the post-pandemic era, now used by 74% of nursing schools surveyed. Educators are increasingly shifting from basic virtual models to more advanced VR platforms that better replicate real-world patient care experiences.
The survey also highlights the growing emphasis on aligning classroom training with the tools and systems used in clinical practice. Nearly one-third of respondents said their primary reason for investing in new technologies is to familiarize students with the solutions they’ll encounter on the job. Another third cited improving students’ clinical judgment as their top priority. Use of electronic health record (EHR) simulations has become widespread, with 67% of nursing programs now incorporating mock EHR systems into their training.
Beverly Malone, President and CEO of the National League for Nursing, emphasized the value of ongoing data collection to track progress and identify areas for improvement. “Surveying deans and faculty since 2016 allows us to see the changes and enhancements that have been made by integrating technology with curriculum to make a true impact,” she said. “With this data, we are able to find areas where clinical practice and education may vary – giving an opportunity to more closely align these functions and maximize the ease of the education-to-practice transition.”
The 2025 survey, part of a four-part series titled Forecast for the Future, received 307 responses from deans and faculty across U.S. nursing schools. It marks the third installment in a longitudinal study launched in 2016 to examine how emerging technologies are transforming the future of nursing education.
