Florida State University has taken the national lead with a new nursing degree based on what’s been making waves in higher education: artificial intelligence (AI).
THE College of Nursing at FSU recently launched the nation’s first master’s degree in nursing with a Applications of AI in healthcare concentration, which combines emerging technology with healthcare to expand digital health initiatives into clinical benefits for patients.
“AI is rapidly expanding into every facet of our lives, and health care is no exception,” Jing Wang, dean of FSU’s College of Nursing, said in a prepared statement. “We see hospitals and clinics beginning to implement artificial intelligence, and our master’s program will create a new generation of nursing professionals ready to navigate and harness these innovative skills and knowledge.”
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The AI concentration, the first of its kind, is one of two concentrations in the new graduate program, the other being nursing education. FSU opened applications in September and closed them in October for the first class of the spring 2025 program, which will have a cohort of 35 students, according to a university spokesperson.
Additionally, the new program will be offered to students as an online graduate program, and its launch is part of the College of Nursing’s 2023-2028 curriculum. “Boldly growing strategic plan. »
As AI – an emerging technology where machines are programmed to learn, reason and operate in a way that mimics human intelligence – is implemented in FSU’s new nursing program, the university is working also currently on a policy that gives teachers guidance on how to navigate this. its use in class.
The new degree offerings also come as part of the Florida Board of Governors’ efforts to promote nursing education to address the state’s current nursing shortage.
In February, the Florida State University System announced a record 1,800 nursing graduates from SUS nursing programs, thanks to the state’s $46 million investment through Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) and the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund.
Additionally, the Board of Governors declared a few weeks ago that all SUS universities with nursing programs would receive LINE funds for the first time since funding began to help address the shortage.
As FSU strives to prepare future nursing leaders for the healthcare field with an understanding of emerging technologies, the AI-based degree will also address ways to implement technology safely and ethically, according to the university.
“We are leading the state of Florida and nationally in digital health and healthcare innovation,” Wang said in a university release. “I look forward to the future collaborations this unprecedented MSN program will bring us.” »
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.