Nurse TrainingNCT07767292
Integrating AI-Assisted Design Thinking Into Nursing Education
A study testing AI-assisted design thinking workshop in people with Nurse Training, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test whether an AI-assisted design thinking workshop can improve empathetic communication in undergraduate nursing students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Nurse Training
- What is being tested?
- AI-assisted design thinking workshop
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 25 Aug 2026to 24 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing programme at CUHK Nethersole School of Nursing.
- Enrolled in the NURS 3127 course during the 2026-27 academic year.
- Willing and able to provide verbal informed consent and participate voluntarily in the study.
Who cannot join
- Students with prior participation in design-thinking workshops.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Hong Kong1 site
The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
About this study
Official title: Integrating Design Thinking Into Undergraduate Nursing Education to Nurture Empathy and Enhance Empathetic Communication: a Wait List RCT
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test whether an AI-assisted design thinking workshop can improve empathetic communication in undergraduate nursing students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does the workshop improve students' empathy, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and patient-centred care attitudes?
Read more
How do students experience the design thinking and AI-supported learning activities?
Researchers will compare the intervention group with a wait-list control group to see whether the workshop leads to better outcomes.
Participants will:
complete a baseline questionnaire before the workshop;
be randomly assigned to receive the workshop now or later;
attend two tutorials in the intervention group, including design thinking activities and AI-simulated clinical scenarios;
complete a follow-up questionnaire after the workshop;
and, for some participants, join a short interview about their learning experience.
Read the detailed description
The study uses a mixed-methods, wait-list randomized controlled trial to evaluate an AI-assisted design thinking workshop for undergraduate nursing students. First, an AI chatbot is co-designed in Phase 1 with 8 nursing faculty members and 8-10 students through a 3-hour workshop, followed by 4-6 weeks of chatbot development and validation. The workshop uses design thinking activities including empathy mapping, patient journey mapping, "How Might We" framing, prototyping, and feedback gathering to define learning needs and chatbot functions. The IT team then builds the chatbot using the workshop outputs, including scenario scripts, response frameworks, assessment criteria, and bilingual English/Cantonese requirements. In Phase 2, 80 eligible Year 2 nursing students are randomly assigned to an intervention group or a wait-list control group. All participants complete baseline and post-intervention questionnaires measuring empathy, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and patient-centred care attitudes. The intervention group receives two 90-minute tutorials: one on design thinking fundamentals and one on AI-simulated clinical scenarios. During the second tutorial, students rotate through different scenarios while tutors provide small-group guidance. Participants in the intervention group may also take part in semi-structured interviews to describe their experiences. Quantitative data will be summarized descriptively, and qualitative data from interviews, open-ended responses, and workshop observations will be analyzed using content analysis.
- Conditions
- Nurse Training
- Being tested
- AI-assisted design thinking workshop
- Keywords
- Design thinking, Nursing education, Problem- solving skills, Empathy, Creativity, Patient-centered care attitude, Collabration
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AI-assisted design thinking workshopOther
This intervention is distinct because it combines design thinking with a conversational AI chatbot to teach empathy in undergraduate nursing education. Rather than using lectures or standard simulation alone, it places students in an active, human-centred learning process that begins with empathy mapping and patient journey mapping, then moves to ideation, prototyping, and reflection. The chatbot provides realistic, bilingual clinical communication scenarios and immediate tailored feedback, including difficult situations such as breaking bad news, managing non-compliance, and responding to emotional or culturally complex encounters. The workshop is also developed through co-design with faculty and students, making the intervention closely aligned with actual learning needs and course context. In addition, the study uses a wait-list randomized controlled design, allowing comparison with usual learning while ensuring all students can eventually receive the workshop.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | The intervention arm will receive an AI-assisted design thinking workshop aimed at strengthening empathetic communication in nursing education. The workshop includes two structured tutorials: the first introduces the design thinking process through activities such as empathy mapping, patient journey mapping, "How Might We" framing, and rapid paper prototyping based on real clinical communication challenges. The second tutorial uses a customized conversational AI chatbot to simulate patient scenarios, allowing students to practice responses in a safe learning environment. During the session, tutors will rotate among groups to provide small-group guidance, feedback, and debriefing. The intervention is intended to help students build empathy, creative thinking, collaboration, and patient-centred communication skills. Receives: Other: AI-assisted design thinking workshop |
| Wait-list control group | Other | The wait-list control group will complete the same baseline and follow-up questionnaires as the intervention group but will not receive the workshop during the main study period. Instead, they will continue with their usual learning activities and will be offered the AI-assisted design thinking workshop after the study data collection is completed. Receives: Other: AI-assisted design thinking workshop |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Empathy
Empathy will be measured with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Student Version (JSE-HPS) which yields total scores ranging from 20 to 140; higher scores indicate greater empathy.
Measured: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Creativity, collaboration, problem-solving
Creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving will be measured with the Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ). Each domain comprises two items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score for each domain will range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater perceived creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving ability.
Measured: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Patient-centred care attitudes
Patient-centred care attitudes will be measured using the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), an 18-item instrument comprising the sharing and caring subscales. Items are rated on a 6-point Likert scale, and the overall score will be calculated as the mean of all item scores, ranging from 1 to 6. Higher scores indicate more patient-centred care attitudes.
Measured: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment. .
Experiences and views on the workshop
Evaluate by semi-structured interviews on the Intervention group
Measured: After intervention, at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Aug 2026
- Study start25 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion24 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion24 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Nurse TrainingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Chinese University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Carmen Chan Yip Wing-han, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Investigators
- Carmen WH Chan, PhD, Principal investigator, The Nethersole School of Nursing, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07767292
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TDLEG_496_PR
- Other IDs
- SBRE-25-1206
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Integrating Design Thinking Into Undergraduate Nursing Education to Nurture Empathy and Enhance Empathetic Communication: a Wait List RCT
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07767292
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TDLEG_496_PR
- Conditions
- Nurse Training
- Keywords
- Design thinking, Nursing education, Problem- solving skills, Empathy, Creativity, Patient-centered care attitude, Collabration
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 24 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 24 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test whether an AI-assisted design thinking workshop can improve empathetic communication in undergraduate nursing students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does the workshop improve students' empathy, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and patient-centred care attitudes?
How do students experience the design thinking and AI-supported learning activities?
Researchers will compare the intervention group with a wait-list control group to see whether the workshop leads to better outcomes.
Participants will:
complete a baseline questionnaire before the workshop;
be randomly assigned to receive the workshop now or later;
attend two tutorials in the intervention group, including design thinking activities and AI-simulated clinical scenarios;
complete a follow-up questionnaire after the workshop;
and, for some participants, join a short interview about their learning experience.
Detailed description
The study uses a mixed-methods, wait-list randomized controlled trial to evaluate an AI-assisted design thinking workshop for undergraduate nursing students. First, an AI chatbot is co-designed in Phase 1 with 8 nursing faculty members and 8-10 students through a 3-hour workshop, followed by 4-6 weeks of chatbot development and validation. The workshop uses design thinking activities including empathy mapping, patient journey mapping, "How Might We" framing, prototyping, and feedback gathering to define learning needs and chatbot functions. The IT team then builds the chatbot using the workshop outputs, including scenario scripts, response frameworks, assessment criteria, and bilingual English/Cantonese requirements. In Phase 2, 80 eligible Year 2 nursing students are randomly assigned to an intervention group or a wait-list control group. All participants complete baseline and post-intervention questionnaires measuring empathy, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and patient-centred care attitudes. The intervention group receives two 90-minute tutorials: one on design thinking fundamentals and one on AI-simulated clinical scenarios. During the second tutorial, students rotate through different scenarios while tutors provide small-group guidance. Participants in the intervention group may also take part in semi-structured interviews to describe their experiences. Quantitative data will be summarized descriptively, and qualitative data from interviews, open-ended responses, and workshop observations will be analyzed using content analysis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | Other: AI-assisted design thinking workshopThe intervention arm will receive an AI-assisted design thinking workshop aimed at strengthening empathetic communication in nursing education. The workshop includes two structured tutorials: the first introduces the design thinking process through activities such as empathy mapping, patient journey mapping, "How Might We" framing, and rapid paper prototyping based on real clinical communication challenges. The second tutorial uses a customized conversational AI chatbot to simulate patient scenarios, allowing students to practice responses in a safe learning environment. During the session, tutors will rotate among groups to provide small-group guidance, feedback, and debriefing. The intervention is intended to help students build empathy, creative thinking, collaboration, and patient-centred communication skills. |
| Wait-list control group | Other | Other: AI-assisted design thinking workshopThe wait-list control group will complete the same baseline and follow-up questionnaires as the intervention group but will not receive the workshop during the main study period. Instead, they will continue with their usual learning activities and will be offered the AI-assisted design thinking workshop after the study data collection is completed. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing programme at CUHK Nethersole School of Nursing.
- Enrolled in the NURS 3127 course during the 2026-27 academic year.
- Willing and able to provide verbal informed consent and participate voluntarily in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Students with prior participation in design-thinking workshops.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted design thinking workshopThis intervention is distinct because it combines design thinking with a conversational AI chatbot to teach empathy in undergraduate nursing education. Rather than using lectures or standard simulation alone, it places students in an active, human-centred learning process that begins with empathy mapping and patient journey mapping, then moves to ideation, prototyping, and reflection. The chatbot provides realistic, bilingual clinical communication scenarios and immediate tailored feedback, including difficult situations such as breaking bad news, managing non-compliance, and responding to emotional or culturally complex encounters. The workshop is also developed through co-design with faculty and students, making the intervention closely aligned with actual learning needs and course context. In addition, the study uses a wait-list randomized controlled design, allowing comparison with usual learning while ensuring all students can eventually receive the workshop. | Other | Intervention Group, Wait-list control group |
Primary outcome
Empathy
Time frame: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Empathy will be measured with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Student Version (JSE-HPS) which yields total scores ranging from 20 to 140; higher scores indicate greater empathy.
3 secondary outcomes
Creativity, collaboration, problem-solving
Time frame: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Patient-centred care attitudes
Time frame: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment. .
Experiences and views on the workshop
Time frame: After intervention, at 12 weeks from enrollment.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Nurse Training
Recruiting
Frailty Training for Emergency Nurses: A Cluster RCT in Morocco
Frail Elderly, Frailty
Recruiting
Peripheral Venous Access Management by Radiologic Technologists in Radiodiagnostic Procedure
Skill Development of Staff, Clinical Practice
Recruiting
Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) Training
Lung Cancer
Not yet recruiting
Development and Empirical Research on a Virtual Simulation Training System for Clinical Nurses Responding to Bioterrorist Attacks
Bioterrorism；Nurses；Computer Simulation；Biosafety Response Capability
Not yet recruiting
Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Respiratory and Renal Care Training With Case-Based Discussion on Nurses' Clinical Reasoning, Knowledge & Practice, Nurse-Physician Collaboration and Mechanically Ventilated Patient Outcomes in a Tertiary-Level ICU in Bangladesh
Ventilator-Associated Events, Acute Kidney Injury
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Carmen WH Chan, PhD principal investigator
The Nethersole School of Nursing, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing AI-assisted design thinking workshop in people with Nurse Training, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Carmen WH Chan, PhD (+852 39436218, whchan@cuhk.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Empathy (time frame: The baseline assessment will be completed one week before the workshop. The post-intervention assessment will be completed within one week after the second tutorial at 12 weeks from enrollment.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Aug 2026.