Promoting Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy in Nursing Students Through AI-Powered Podcasting: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background: Nursing education faces challenges in developing critical thinking and digital literacy among Generation Z students, particularly in maternal–newborn care contexts where evidence-based practice is essential. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an AI-assisted podcasting intervention on critical thinking and digital literacy among nursing students and explore their experiences. Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design included 48 third-year nursing students who created educational podcasts using AI tools (Sci Space for literature search, Notebook LM for synthesis). Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t-tests; qualitative data from three focus groups (n = 15) underwent thematic analysis. Results: Critical thinking scores increased significantly from 89.71 (SD = 13.43) to 117.29 (SD = 9.94), (t = −13.332, p < 0.001). Digital literacy scores improved from 37.98 (SD = 5.84) to 46.94 (SD = 4.11), (t = −9.407, p < 0.001). Four themes emerged: transformation from anxiety to empowerment, AI as scaffold, distinct tool utility, and future clinical application. Conclusions: These findings suggest that AI-assisted podcasting has the potential to significantly enhance critical thinking and digital literacy among nursing students; however, results should be interpreted with caution given the pre–post design, single-institution sample, and use of researcher-developed instruments.