Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field that is changing how we approach many societal challenges. The power of AI to learn and evolve has made it possible to create systems that can perform tasks previously thought impossible (Alkhaqani, 2023a, Alkhaqani, 2023b). AI works similarly to machine learning and human intelligence, complementing human knowledge in education, training, analysis and various medical and healthcare fields using specialized software and machine-based algorithms (Srinivasan et al., 2024).

ChatGPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer), a popular AI product developed by OpenAI, was first released by OpenAI in November 2022 as GPT-3.5, with a second release as GPT-4.0 in March 2023 (Miao and Ahn, 2023). ChatGPT has been trained on a large text dataset to understand and respond to human language and has applications in conversation building, content creation and language understanding (Odom-Forren, 2023, Moons and Van Bulck, 2024).

However, ChatGPT is also used in clinical decision support systems, health-related literature reviews, patient education and research processes, nursing practice (Levin et al., 2024, Lin et al., 2024, Gunawan, 2023, Scerri and Morin, 2023), healthcare education (Sallam, 2023) and nursing education (Alkhaqani, 2023a, Alkhaqani, 2023b, De Gagne, 2023, Goktas et al., 2023, Seney et al., 2023). By providing a constantly updated information source for both students and professionals, it accelerates learning processes and makes them more accessible (Sallam et al., 2023).

Studies on ChatGPT in nursing education have discussed its positive and negative effects (Lifshits and Rosenberg, 2024, Buchanan et al., 2021). It has advantages such as ensuring student participation, improving knowledge and skill acquisition (Goktas et al., 2023), providing personalized learning, providing instant feedback and reducing instructor burden (İlaslan, 2023, Liu et al., 2023) and creating simulation scenarios (Benfatah et al., 2024). It also has the potential to increase student motivation, improve learning outcomes (Srinivasan et al., 2024) and become a virtual instructor (Abujaber et al., 2023).

ChatGPT can be used in many ways not only in undergraduate nursing education (Lukić et al., 2023), but also in higher education by academics (Archibald and Clark, 2023) and students in the academic field and education. Post-graduate education aims to develop analytical thinking habits, to understand the importance of research for nursing practice use evidence-based data in their studies, select appropriate scientific principles for solving nursing problems and develop new hypotheses (Doughty et al., 2021, Muraraneza et al., 2020). AI programs like ChatGPT, which are used to achieve these goals, support students' academic writing (Kennelly and Donnelly, 2023) and homework (Bumbach et al., 2024). However, it is considered to be useful when properly integrated into DNP (Doctor of Nursing practice) education (Quattrini et al., 2024).

Despite these benefits, the use of ChatGPT in nursing education carries some risks (Alkhaqani, 2023a, Alkhaqani, 2023b). Providing inaccurate or misleading information can lead to students making erroneous decisions and negative outcomes in patient care. Furthermore, the use of ChatGPT may reduce direct communication between students and instructors, leading to a lack of emotional support. Instant information access may limit students' opportunities to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills (Abdulai and Hung, 2023, Allen and Woodnutt, 2023). It may increase concerns about student privacy and data security (Abujaber et al., 2023). There are also concerns that the use of ChatGPT may not reflect core values such as compassion, empathy and respect towards patients (Abdulai and Hung, 2023).

Despite its positive and negative effects, it is important to further investigate the impact of ChatGPT on nursing education (İlaslan, 2023, Miao and Ahn, 2023, Abdulai and Hung, 2023) and to establish a balance between AI and human skills in nursing education (Allen and Woodnutt, 2023, Gunawan et al., 2024). Especially in higher education, the use of ChatGPT should be carefully, ethically and proactively integrated into education (Dempere et al., 2023). This issue is intensively discussed in higher education and academia in nursing (O’Connor, 2023). Continuous evaluation is vital to maximize the educational potential of AI in nursing and manage its weaknesses (Lifshits and Rosenberg, 2024, Parker et al., 2024).

Public Health Nursing is a specialized field that blends health and social sciences, where students develop and frequently use skills in epidemiology and research (Reiss-Brennan et al., 2022, Thorpe et al., 2008). However, it is envisioned that in the future AI-based applications could be used to help inform about public health issues (Chaix et al., 2020). The use of AI applications for promoting personalized health, disease prevention, rehabilitation and disease management, which are the goals of public health, seems promising (Bernstam et al., 2022).

It is not an option but a necessity for public health nursing graduate students who work in close contact with the community to have knowledge and experience about this program, which is used for various purposes to improve public health. Therefore, it is critical to examine the experiences of this group of students, who both conduct academic studies and contribute to community health promotion. This will help both to understand the use of ChatGPT in the academic world and to evaluate this technology’s contributions to public health nursing graduate education.

This study is among the first to evaluate the integration of ChatGPT into educational processes in the graduate field of public health nursing. Understanding how this technology has gained a foothold among graduate students and what contributions it provides will be a critical step for more effective use of these tools in the future.