Digital proficiency: assessing knowledge, attitudes, and skills in digital transformation, health literacy, and artificial intelligence among university nursing students

Background Implementing digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) in education and practice necessitates understanding nursing students' attitudes and behaviors as end-users toward current and future digital and AI applications. Purpose This study aimed to assess the perceived knowledge, attitudes, and skills of nursing students regarding digital transformation, as well as their digital health literacy (DHL) and attitudes toward AI. Furthermore, we investigated the potential correlations among these variables. Methods A descriptive correlational design was employed in a Saudi nursing college utilizing a convenience sample of 266 nursing students. A structured questionnaire consisting of six sections was used, covering personal information, knowledge, skills and attitudes toward digital transformation, digital skills, DHL, and attitudes toward AI. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were employed for data analysis. Results Nursing students exhibited good knowledge of and positive attitudes toward digital transformation services. They possessed strong digital skills, and their DHL and positive attitude toward AI were commendable. Overall, the findings indicated significant positive correlations between knowledge of digital transformation services and all the digital variables measured (p = < 0.05). Senior students reported greater digital knowledge and a positive attitude toward AI. Conclusion The study recommends an innovative undergraduate curriculum that integrates opportunities for hands-on experience with digital healthcare technologies to enhance their digital literacy and skills.