The Integration of a Diplomacy Lab in a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Research and Informatics Course: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

Nursing education requires innovative models to prepare practice-ready nurses with global health competencies and real-world research experience. This qualitative descriptive study examined the implementation and outcomes of integrating a U.S. Department of State Diplomacy Lab project on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in global HIV care into a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) Research and Informatics course.

METHOD: Content analysis was conducted on de-identified student assignments from 55 RN-BSN students across three course sections, including annotated bibliographies, discussion posts, and synthesis presentations. Frequencies and comparative analyses were used to assess consistency across sections.

RESULTS

Students identified more than 30 AI technologies across the HIV care continuum, with emphasis on prevention (32%), treatment (27%), diagnosis (21%), and ethical considerations (20%). Findings were consistent across course sections (χ2 = 2.62, p = .623).

CONCLUSION

Integrating a Diplomacy Lab offers a replicable strategy to strengthen research competencies and align nursing education with global health priorities.