AI-Powered Interview Simulation to Improve Employability and Reduce Anxiety in Nursing and Midwifery Students

NCT07061132 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025.203.IRB3.080
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a ChatGPT-based job interview simulation on the employment perceptions and interview-related anxiety of senior nursing and midwifery students. Transitioning from education to professional practice in healthcare is a critical phase that directly influences employability and career readiness. Particularly for nursing and midwifery students, the ability to navigate job interviews with confidence plays a pivotal role in shaping their future career paths. As such, innovative and digital interventions are needed to better prepare students for this process. Grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study explores how AI-driven simulations affect students' self-efficacy, perceived utility, and usability, and ultimately their career-related outlook. The intervention involves a structured, text-based job interview simulation powered by ChatGPT-4o, during which students respond to a series of nine professionally tailored questions. These questions are aligned with international competency frameworks such as those from ICN (2008) and ICM (2024), focusing on themes like professionalism, teamwork, evidence-based care, communication, and leadership. At the end of the simulation, the chatbot provides brief, constructive feedback to the participant. A total of 102 final-year students from Koç University and Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa will be recruited using stratified randomization. Participants will be assigned to either an intervention group, which will complete the ChatGPT simulation, or a control group, which will not receive any interview intervention but will complete the same pre- and post-test questionnaires. Key outcome measures include the Perceived Future Employability Scale (PFE), the Interview Anxiety Scale (MASI-T), and a simulation experience form for the intervention group. Quantitative data will be analyzed using SPSS with appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests based on data distribution, and an intention-to-treat (ITT) approach will be adopted. To ensure the integrity of the experiment, blinding procedures, strict confidentiality, and group separation protocols will be applied. The simulation will be conducted individually on research-owned devices in private rooms, and no personal or textual data will be saved from the AI interactions. Ethical approval has been obtained from Koç University Social and Behavioral Ethics Committee. Participation is voluntary, informed consent will be collected, and all processes will comply with the Helsinki Declaration and Turkish Personal Data Protection Law. Ultimately, this study seeks to offer evidence on the pedagogical utility of AI-based simulation tools in preparing healthcare students for employment, while also contributing to the broader field of digital transformation in health education.

Conditions

Employment Anxiety; Perceived Employability; Educational Technology; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Nursing Education Research; Midwifery Education; Simulation Training

Keywords

ChatGPT; Artificial Intelligence; Job Interview Simulation; Nursing Students; Midwifery Students; Employability; Interview Anxiety; Self-Efficacy; Simulation-Based Learning

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Perceived Future Employability Score

  Assessed using the Perceived Future Employability Scale (PFE). The scale includes 24 items across 6 subdomains and is rated on a 6-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate more positive perceptions of future employability. Change in total score from pre-test to post-test will be used to assess the intervention's effect.

  From baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)

• Change in Interview Anxiety Score

  Assessed using the Turkish version of the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interviews (MASI), originally developed by McCarthy and Goffin (2004) and adapted into Turkish by Turgut, Kümbül Güler, and Vural Yüzbaşı (2024). The scale consists of 30 items across four subscales: communication anxiety, social appearance anxiety, performance anxiety, and behavioral anxiety. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). Higher scores indicate higher levels of job interview-related anxiety. Change in total score will be analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

  From baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Simulation Experience Evaluation Score

  Immediately after the simulation session

Study Arms (2)

AI-Based Interview Simulation Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Arm Description: Participants in this arm will complete a structured, AI-powered job interview simulation using ChatGPT-4o. The simulation will consist of nine competency-based questions aligned with international nursing and midwifery standards. The interaction will be conducted individually in written format, and the chatbot will provide short, supportive feedback at the end. No text data will be saved. This simulation is designed to enhance participants' employability perception and reduce their interview-related anxiety.

Other: AI-Based Interview Simulation

No-Intervention Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this arm will not receive any intervention during the study period. They will complete the same pre-test and post-test assessments as the intervention group but will not participate in the AI-powered interview simulation. After the study concludes, they may optionally be offered access to the simulation for educational purposes, but no data will be collected from that session.

Interventions

AI-Based Interview Simulation OTHER

The intervention group participated in a structured, text-based job interview simulation supported by ChatGPT-4o, using nine standardized prompts based on ICN (2008) and ICM (2024) core competencies. Developed by experts in simulation and nursing education, the intervention aimed to enhance self-efficacy and reduce interview-related anxiety. Each session lasted 15-20 minutes and concluded with structured feedback provided by ChatGPT. Participants were also offered an optional preparation guide with 40 reflective questions across themes such as communication, anxiety, and self-awareness. This preparation was not mandatory and not included in the simulation time.

AI-Based Interview Simulation Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must be a senior-year student enrolled in a nursing or midwifery program
• Must voluntarily agree to participate in the study
• Must provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to participate in the intervention or assessments due to extended absence or medical leave
• Fails to complete either the pre-test or post-test assessments
• Previous participation in the pilot phase of the study
• Prior exposure to the ChatGPT-based interview simulation used in this study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Koç University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Koç University School of Nursing

Istanbul, 34450, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Officials

• SEDA SARIKOSE, Asst. Prof.

  Koc University School of Nursing

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: Group assignment was concealed using a sealed-envelope method. Randomization was conducted by an independent researcher who was not involved in data collection or intervention delivery. Both participants and investigators were unaware of group allocation until the day of implementation.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Asst. prof.

Model Details: Interventional Study Model: Parallel Assignment Model Description: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The intervention group will receive a ChatGPT-based job interview simulation, while the control group will receive no intervention. Both groups will complete identical pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2025
• First Posted: July 11, 2025
• Study Start: May 8, 2025
• Primary Completion: July 2, 2025
• Study Completion: August 30, 2025
• Last Updated: July 11, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: These documents may be shared upon publication of the study results or upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.
• Access Criteria: Qualified researchers may request access to de-identified supporting documents such as the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and informed consent form. Requests can be made by contacting the principal investigator via institutional email. Documents will be provided for academic or scientific purposes only, and access may be subject to approval by the research ethics committee.

Locations

TU (1)