Artificial Intelligence Use Guidelines and Policy

TSTC Nursing Program Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

The TSTC LVN-RN Program acknowledges the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in nursing education and clinical environments. This policy provides clear guidelines for the ethical, responsible, and appropriate use of AI tools by students within the nursing program. These guidelines apply to coursework, clinical simulations, lab settings, and academic assignments, and are designed to uphold academic integrity, protect patient confidentiality, and promote critical thinking. This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as needed to remain aligned with the emerging AI tools and nursing education standards.

Definitions

Artificial Intelligence “refers to computer systems that can perform complex tasks normally done by human-reasoning, decision making, creating, etc.” (https://www.nasa.gov/what-is-artificial-intelligence/). Examples of AI tools that may be encountered during nursing coursework, lab, and clinical practice include: Medication dosage calculators, virtual patient simulations, Epic predictive alerts (e.g., sepsis risk), and AI-assisted documentation platforms such as DAX Copilot. 

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a form of AI “that is capable of generating new content (such as images or text) in response to a submitted prompt (such as a query) by learning from a large reference database of examples” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generative%20AI). 

Original student work refers to assignments developed through the student's own critical thinking, synthesis of credible sources, and academic integrity. AI-generated content may only be used for concept exploration, not final submissions.

Policy

Students may utilize AI to enhance learning of new concepts and ideas. AI generated information should not be used to replace the student’s own thoughts or work on assignments. Individual assignments, assessments, and other course related work must be original and not AI-generated. Use of AI tools to complete assignments may be classified as plagiarism and will be subject to the TSTC institutional Academic Integrity policy. All students are responsible for assuring their work adheres to all other policies and procedures in regard to academic integrity and policies on course syllabi. 

Artificial Intelligence should not be used to replace clinical judgment in the clinical setting. Use of AI tools in the clinical setting in the context of patient care or documentation is prohibited. AI must not be used to generate or alter patient information or replace human interactions in patient care.  Students are strictly prohibited from using AI-enabled glasses or similar wearable technology during any class, assessment, or academic activity. These devices are capable of accessing, recording, transmitting, or generating information in real time, which may compromise academic integrity. This includes, but is not limited to, devices such as Ray-Ban Meta, Google Glass, Vuzix Blade, and XREAL Air. 

Responsible Use of AI in Nursing Education

General guidelines for responsible use of AI include:

• Verify accuracy and validity of all AI generated information. 

  • Example: Using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to gain a basic understanding of a topic, generate ideas, clarify complex concepts, or explore unfamiliar material. This use is limited to helping the student grasp foundational knowledge and should not replace reading course materials.

• Use proper citation of sources and check the sources are appropriate

  • Example: Verifying any information provided by an AI tool by comparing it with course materials. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of information before using it in assignments or discussions.

• Students are strictly prohibited from entering any Protected Health Information (PHI), personally identifiable patient data, or confidential academic or institutional information into any AI tools or platforms. Doing so may violate HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and/or FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and could result in disciplinary action, including potential dismissal from the program, as well as civil or criminal legal consequences. This includes, but is not limited to, the following Artificial Intelligence tools:

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI)

  • Google Gemini (formerly Bard)

  • Microsoft Copilot / Bing AI

  • Claude (Anthropic)

  • Perplexity AI

  • Jasper AI

  • Notion AI

  • GrammarlyGO

  • Any browser extensions or AI writing assistants

  • Voice assistants (e.g., Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant with AI capabilities)

  • AI transcription tools (e.g., Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai) when used with sensitive data

• Students are fully responsible for the content of work they submit. 

Consequences for Misuse

Violations of this policy will be addressed according to the institution’s academic integrity policies. Penalties may include:

• Receiving a failing grade for the assignment, course, or program component.

• Referral to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office for consideration of disciplinary action.

• Documentation of violation in student file, resulting in a final warning. 

• Repeat offenses will result in further disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the program, without future readmission.