AI challenges, academic integrity awareness and innovative behaviour linked in postgraduate nursing survey

A multicentre online cross-sectional survey of 306 postgraduate nursing students in western China found positive associations among artificial intelligence application challenges, academic integrity awareness and innovative behaviours. The study abstract reports that AI application challenges were correlated with academic integrity awareness (r = 0.419, p < 0.001) and innovative behaviours (r = 0.406, p < 0.001), while academic integrity awareness was also positively correlated with innovative behaviours (r = 0.501, p < 0.001).

Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and completed the Generative Artificial Intelligence Literacy Questionnaire for Nursing Students, the AI Academic Integrity Awareness Scale and the Nurse Innovation Behavior Scale. The researchers conducted descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis, using a statistical significance threshold of p < 0.05. Challenge stressor theory and responsible innovation theory provided an integrated framework for the study and the interpretation of its findings.

Mean total scores were 40.71 ± 7.69 for AI application challenges, 34.83 ± 5.89 for academic integrity awareness and 35.94 ± 6.21 for innovative behaviours, which the abstract described as moderate-to-high levels. Male participants had significantly higher innovative behaviour scores than female participants. In the regression analysis, AI application challenges and academic integrity awareness together accounted for 31.2% of the variance in innovative behaviours, with R² = 0.312 and an adjusted R² of 0.298. These results describe statistical relationships among the measured variables; the cross-sectional design does not establish that one variable caused or increased another.

The findings are bounded by the survey’s cross-sectional design, convenience sampling and focus on postgraduate nursing students in western China. They therefore describe the sampled population and do not by themselves establish how the measured relationships operate over time or in other educational settings. The study abstract also presents the reported scores, correlations and regression estimates without evaluating a specific educational programme or clinical intervention.

Subject of Research: Relationships among AI application challenges, academic integrity awareness and innovative behaviours in postgraduate nursing students

Article Title: Status and correlations of AI application challenges, academic integrity awareness and innovative behaviours among postgraduate nursing students: a multicentre online cross-sectional survey

Article References: Song, D., Liu, A., Li, J., Luo, J., Xiang, B., Zhang, Z., Hu, R., & Gao, H. (2026). Status and correlations of AI application challenges, academic integrity awareness and innovative behaviours among postgraduate nursing students: a multicentre online cross-sectional survey. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05355-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05355-8

Keywords: postgraduate nursing students, artificial intelligence, academic integrity, innovative behaviour, cross-sectional survey, nursing education, China, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, Status, correlations, application