10: AI-Based Interactive Self-Learning Available to Purchase

This chapter explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into nursing education through the use of virtual patient agent systems to enhance emotional intelligence (EI) training. Traditional approaches such as role-playing often suffer from limited diversity of patient scenarios, subjective evaluation, and inhibited student engagement. By contrast, AI-driven virtual patients simulate authentic, emotionally rich interactions and adapt dynamically to students’ communication strategies, fostering deeper empathy and emotional awareness. The chapter details how these systems create diverse patient backgrounds, deliver personalized feedback, and generate measurable EI profiles. Beyond technical enhancement, virtual patient agents promote human-centered care by helping students better understand patients’ emotional realities, from chronic illness management to end-of-life scenarios. Ethical concerns and potential over-reliance are also addressed, highlighting the need for balance between AI support and human judgment. Ultimately, the chapter positions AI not as a replacement but as an amplifier of empathy and resilience in clinical training.