Abstract
Background: Nursing students often report difficulty understanding and applying research evidence, limiting evidence-based practice capability. Podcasts are an accessible method for research dissemination, and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) may offer a scalable approach to developing research-focused podcasts within curricula. Aims: To assess the feasibility of integrating GenAI-assisted research podcasts into nursing curricula as supplementary learning resources. A secondary objective examined associations in students’ self-reported competencies. Methods: A nonrandomised pre-post study was conducted in two entry-to-practice nursing programs at one Australian university. Episodes were released weekly as additional resources. Students completed the Student Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire at semester commencement and completion. Independent-samples t-tests compared mean differences between independent pre- and post-semester samples. Findings: All episodes were delivered alongside weekly content. Among post-survey respondents, 91% reported listening to at least one episode (M = 4.8; SD = 2.80). A total of 157 surveys (71 pre; 86 post) were analysed. Overall scores were higher in the post-sample by 0.29 points (95% CI −0.01 to 0.59; p = 0.062). A significant difference was observed in the skills subdomain (0.44; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.79; p = 0.013); other subdomains showed nonsignificant changes. Greater engagement was associated with higher post-semester total scores (r = 0.39; p < 0.001). Discussion: Implementation was feasible, and post-semester respondents reported higher research appraisal scores. However, effects should be interpreted cautiously, as causal inference was limited by the nonrandomised design and unpaired samples. Conclusion: GenAI-assisted research podcasts appear feasible as a low-barrier resource with potential to support research literacy in nursing students.
Keywords
AI in education, AI in healthcare, evidence-based practice, nursing and healthcare, nursing education, nursing students, podcasts, research literacy
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
8-1-2026
ISSN
13227696
Volume
33
Issue
4
Publication Title
Collegian
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
285
Last Page
293
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, J., Barr, L., Costello, M., Thalib, L., & Jones, M. (2026). GenAI-assisted podcasts to support nursing students’ research literacy and evidence-based practice: A feasibility study. Collegian, 33(4), 285–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2026.05.002