Development and evaluation of an AI-enabled dual-mentor psychological support closed-loop system for nursing interns: A quasi-experimental study

Background and objective: Nursing interns frequently experience psychological distress during clinical training, which may negatively affect learning outcomes and professional development. Traditional dual-mentor models provide important educational support but often lack continuous monitoring of interns’ psychological status. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an AI-enabled dual-mentor psychological support closed-loop system and to examine its effects on nursing interns’ clinical skills, emotional exhaustion, and internship satisfaction. 
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was adopted. A total of 200 nursing interns from a vocational college in Zhejiang Province, China, were assigned to an experimental group (n = 100) or a control group (n = 100) using cluster sampling. The experimental group received an AI-enabled dual-mentor psychological support intervention in addition to routine internship supervision for one semester, while the control group received routine dual-mentor supervision only. Outcomes included clinical skills performance, emotional exhaustion (MBI-GS), and internship satisfaction. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
Results: The proportion of interns achieving excellent clinical skills performance was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (28.0% vs. 11.0%, χ² = 9.82, p = .002). After controlling for baseline scores, the experimental group reported significantly lower posttest emotional exhaustion (F = 25.34, p < .001) and significantly higher internship satisfaction than the control group (F = 18.56, p = .008). 
Conclusions: The AI-enabled dual-mentor psychological support closed-loop system effectively improves nursing interns' clinical skills, reduces emotional exhaustion, and enhances internship satisfaction. The system was particularly effective in identifying early signs of psychological distress and facilitating timely, tiered interventions, serving as a supportive tool that enhances—rather than replaces—the established dual-mentor framework.