Artificial intelligence (AI) is a software system capable of collecting and processing data in accordance with complex objectives. AI technologies can simulate certain aspects of human cognitive abilities such as learning, reasoning and decision-making (Martínez-Plumed et al., 2021, O'Connor et al., 2023). The field of AI has seen significant advancements in recent years, with researchers striving to replicate human cognitive abilities. These abilities encompass a range of functions, including abstract reasoning, learning, autonomous decision-making, information disclosure, communication in different languages and perceiving and interacting with the external environment (O'Connor et al., 2023). The advent of these sophisticated technologies has led to the proliferation of virtual digital assistants such as ChatGPT, Alexa, Siri and Google Home. These assistants have found application in a variety of settings, including individual AI systems, as well as institutional settings in domains such as healthcare, industry and retail (Martínez-Plumed et al., 2021). In this direction, interest in AI systems in nursing is on the rise. An examination of AI reviews in nursing reveals a shift in focus toward clinical applications, datasets and scenario-based research (O'Connor et al., 2023, Seibert et al., 2021). A study by Bajo et al. (2008) found that nursing arrangements made using machine learning reduce the time nurses spend on monitoring and false alerts, resulting in greater involvement in direct patient care (Bajo et al., 2008). In a study comparing the responses of AI in terms of clinical decision making with those of expert and novice nurses, it was reported that AI showed more indecision and tendency to triage than human clinician (Saban and Dubovi, 2024). AI applications in nursing provide multifaceted contributions to nursing care in areas such as the organization of healthcare services, risk prediction and support for direct patient care (Seibert et al., 2021). The integration of AI into nursing practice has the potential to enhance patient safety and care efficiency while also reducing nurses’ workload. However, despite these advantages, AI technologies also pose certain significant risks. Uncertainties regarding the accuracy of responses, as well as ethical concerns related to patient privacy and safety, necessitate their careful and deliberate implementation (Ruksakulpiwat et al., 2024). Nurses, as both professional care providers and direct users of AI technologies, play a critical role in these developments (von Gerich et al., 2022). In this context, collaboration between AI and nursing should be structured to support the delivery of personalized, high-quality healthcare based on ethical principles.

It has been indicated that the effective use of AI-based technologies in daily nursing practice depends primarily on nurses’ attitudes toward AI, regardless of factors such as technological infrastructure, the reliability and effectiveness of the AI system, or the staff’s training in AI (Lukić et al., 2023, O'Connor et al., 2023, Seibert et al., 2021). A survey of healthcare professionals revealed that 75 % of respondents (3.11 out of 4 respondents) expressed concerns about the potential for AI to substitute for their roles and 75 % of respondents indicated a lack of knowledge about AI. Furthermore, the participants lacked sufficient information regarding the advantages and challenges of AI applications in healthcare (Abdullah and Fakieh, 2020). Considering the prevailing consensus that AI has begun to have an impact on nursing roles, workflows and the nurse-patient relationship (Buchanan et al., 2020). Therefore, considering the potential of health technologies supported by AI to enhance nursing practices, examining the attitudes of nurses and nursing students toward AI and its perceived benefits of AI for human health and well-being is essential for fostering informed decision-making behavior. In the extant literature (Alruwaili et al., 2024, Kandemir and Azizoğlu, 2024, Rony et al., 2024, Salem et al., 2024), the General Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS) or structured questionnaires are employed in studies evaluating nurses' knowledge, attitudes toward AI and awareness of AI. The instrument designed to evaluate nurses' attitudes toward AI technologies in practice categorizes attitudes as positive or negative (Yılmaz et al., 2025). Furthermore, in the context of academic research, nursing students' attitudes toward AI have been the subject of numerous studies. These studies have revealed a dichotomy in their attitudes, categorizing them as either positive or negative (Salem et al., 2024, Sumengen et al., 2025). The necessity for valid and reliable instruments to evaluate nurses' and prospective nurses' attitudes toward AI, particularly with regard to benefits, willingness and harms, as opposed to positive and negative aspects, has been identified. Consequently, the present study was conducted to ascertain the validity and reliability of the Nursing Students’ General Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (NGAAIS) developed by Lukic et al. (2023) in determining nursing students' attitudes towards AI as a valid and reliable tool for the Turkish population. The NGAAIS instrument was developed to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward AI by revising the items of the GAAIS within the context of nursing. Comprising 20 items and four subdimensions, the scale offers a broader perspective by addressing attitudes toward AI in a multidimensional manner (Lukic et al., 2023). In nursing research, the tendency to evaluate attitudes toward AI in a binary manner—as either positive or negative (Salem et al., 2024, Sumengen et al., 2025, Yılmaz et al., 2025)—highlights the need for more nuanced and diverse conceptual approaches. In this context, Lukic et al. (2023) sought to ascertain the attitudes toward AI at the commencement of professional education by implementing the instrument they had developed, initially testing it on first-year nursing students. In this study, however, we endeavored to demonstrate its applicability across all levels by incorporating nursing students from all undergraduate academic years. This assumption was based on the premise that students newly entering academia may have limited experience with the use of artificial intelligence.

H1: The NGAAIS is a valid measurement tool in Turkish language

H2: The NGAAIS is a reliable measurement tool in Turkish language.