QiMeta - Using AI to learn faster

ENHANCING

NURSING

EDUCATION

WITH AI

DEPLOYING QIMETA AT CAPITAL HEALTH

SCHOOL OF RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY

MAY 2025

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

AI ISN’T A LUXURY–IT’S A

LIFELINE FOR HEALTHCARE

WORKERS

The Challenge

Workforce development is a national priority

—especially in healthcare, where shortages

threaten the quality and accessibility of care.

The U.S. faces an urgent gap in skilled

professionals, particularly in nursing, where

more than 100,000 positions remain unfilled

across the country .

Despite rising demand, many students

struggle to complete the academic path to

these careers. Courses like Radiation

Technology are often cited as bottlenecks:

they require mastery of difficult scientific

concepts that can discourage students from

continuing. These challenges are especially

steep for learners facing systemic barriers like

low adult literacy rates, under-resourced

schools, or a shortage of qualified instructors.

Without intervention, these barriers slow

down progress toward growing a more

inclusive, well-prepared nursing workforce.

Real World Problem

Radiation Technology is one of the most

demanding courses in nursing programs. It

covers complex material like radiation

physics, ionization energy, and cell biology—

all critical for working with imaging equipment

like MRIs and CT scanners. Many students

report feeling overwhelmed by the volume

and complexity of content, leading to lower

retention and increased dropout risk.

AI tools are becoming more common in

classrooms, but not all of them are built with

student comprehension in mind. A review of

69 studies (Deng et al., 2024) found mixed

results: while AI can improve motivation and

understanding, it can also lead to confusion

when not implemented thoughtfully. Most of

this research focused on college-level

learners—86% of studies—with little data on

early-stage training or nontraditional

students.

If students continue to struggle with

foundational science courses, many may

never reach clinical training. That’s why tools

like QiMeta must be carefully designed and

evaluated—with a focus on actually helping

students succeed in nursing education.

Results and Impacts

Rather than offering shortcuts, QiMeta turns

standard lecture materials into interactive,

student-friendly learning experiences. It

highlights key concepts, defines unfamiliar

terms, and lets students ask contextual

questions—all within the course content

they’re already using.

The overwhelmingly positive student

feedback and strong satisfaction ratings

highlights QiMeta’s potential to make

education more accessible and engaging.

While we’re still evaluating long-term

outcomes, early results show that

thoughtfully applied AI tools like QiMeta can:

Bridge Learning Gaps

Keep Students on Track

Empower the next generation of

healthcare professionals

BACKGROUND

CHALLENGES IN WORKFORCE

READINESS AND NURSING

EDUCATION

Across the United States, institutions are

facing mounting challenges in workforce

development, particularly in the healthcare

sector. Persistent labor shortages, low

literacy rates, and training bottlenecks

have created systemic barriers to

economic mobility and workforce

readiness. The situation is particularly

acute in nursing education.

Nursing Shortages in the US

1.2 million additional nurses will be

needed by 2030 to meet healthcare

demand .

There is currently a 10% shortage in

Registered Nurses (RNs), translating to

approximately 350,540 unfilled positions .

Between 2022 and 2024, over 138,000

nurses exited the workforce .

Nearly 40% of remaining nurses report

plans to leave the profession by 2029.

Education pipeline constraints: Nursing

schools are unable to scale due to faculty

shortages and limited clinical

placements .

US Literacy Challenges

21% of U.S. adults are considered

illiterate .

A staggering 54% read below a 6th-grade

level, impacting their ability to complete

training and certification programs .

Among adults lacking proficiency, 34% are

foreign-born, underscoring the need for

targeted literacy solutions.

Estimated annual economic cost of low

literacy: $2.2 trillion .

Workforce Development & Job

Market Gaps

7.6 million job openings reported in the

U.S. as of February 2025 .

3.8 million new manufacturing jobs

expected by 2033 .

However, 1.9 million of those roles may go

unfilled due to lack of qualified workers.

Many Americans require retraining to

bridge the skills gap and fill high-demand

roles .

These challenges demand innovative,

scalable solutions that address both the

supply of qualified professionals and the

barriers to accessibility in education.

QiMeta was developed as a tool to bridge

these gaps—making complex material

more digestible, reducing dependence on

instructor time, and boosting

comprehension and confidence across

varied literacy levels.

NURSING

CHALLENGES

ADDRESSING THE NURSING

SHORTAGE AT ITS CORE:

EDUCATION AND INCLUSIVTY

The Equity Problem

Nursing education remains difficult to access

and succeed in for many students. Courses

like Radiation Technology demand a strong

foundation in subjects like physics and cell

biology—topics that are essential for work

with MRIs and CT scanners, but which many

students haven’t mastered by the time they

enter nursing programs. These challenges are

especially steep for students from under-

resourced academic backgrounds, where

these subjects may not have been taught in

depth. For them, courses like this often

become roadblocks.

Diversity in STEM

Women and students from underrepresented

racial and ethnic backgrounds remain

disproportionately excluded from many STEM

pathways, particularly in technical fields.

According to the NSF, women earned just 35%

of STEM bachelor’s degrees in 2022—only 21%

in engineering and 19% in computer science.

Racial gaps are just as stark: Black workers

made up 11% of the total U.S. workforce but

only 6.9% of STEM roles, while Hispanic

workers made up 18% of the workforce but

held just 13.5% of STEM jobs.

While nursing draws more women overall,

technical subfields like radiologic technology

often reflect the same barriers seen across

STEM—gaps in prior academic preparation,

limited exposure to advanced science

coursework, and structural filters that make it

harder for marginalized students to persist

through the most difficult parts of the

curriculum.

Figure 1: Underserved communities face greater difficulty in

entering STEM fields.

Why This Matters

A lack of diversity in nursing and related

technical fields not only limits who gets to

participate in these careers, but also reduces

the range of ideas and innovation within

healthcare. Bridging these education gaps—

especially in foundational science coursework

—is critical to developing a workforce that is

both inclusive and prepared to meet future

healthcare demands.

Figure 2: Female students continue to be disproportionately

represented in STEM college degrees

SOLUTION

The Radiation Technology course has been

taught by an experienced instructor who

has developed her own slides to simplify

and present the material effectively. An

example of the slides is given to the right in

Figure 3.

Key Enhancements

The Radiation Technology course has been

taught by an experienced instructor who

has developed her own slides to simplify

and present the material effectively. An

example of the slides is given to the right in

Figure 3.

Key Enhancements

QiMeta integrated seamlessly with existing

course materials to make difficult concepts

easier to grasp and faster to review. These

tools helped reduce student frustration,

increase engagement, and improve study

efficiency.

Clarifies Difficult Concepts Instantly

QiMeta’s Intelligent Highlighting draws

attention to complex terms and

essential facts, helping students focus

on what matters most. Students

reported that this saved them time

during review and helped them feel less

overwhelmed.

Makes Content More Approachable

With Interactive Definitions, students

could click on highlighted terms to see

simplified explanations, tailored to their

learning level. This gave them the

confidence to keep up—even when core

science topics felt intimidating.

Provides On-Demand Support

The Ask QiMeta chatbot allowed

students to ask questions directly from

within the slides. It provided fast,

accurate responses using real course

content—like having a tutor available

anytime, without needing to schedule

extra help.

Figure 3: Original slide

Figure 4 - QiMeta enhanced slide, highlighting difficult

concepts. A sample definition is shown for “Hormesis”

Figure 5 - Users can use “Ask QiMeta” to support deeper

comprehension and more personalized learning

DEPLOYMENT

PROCESS

Structured Deployment Approach

Content Selection:

The instructor selected existing lecture slides and

reading materials to be enhanced—no need to

redesign or rewrite content from scratch.

AI Enhancement:

QiMeta automatically identified complex terms and

inserted learning tools. The instructor could quickly

review and approve suggested highlights and

definitions.

The implementation of QiMeta in the Radiation

Technology course followed a clear, five-step

rollout that minimized disruption and maximized

student benefit:

LMS Integration:

Enhanced materials were provided as links that

were added to the school’s learning management

system (LMS), keeping all resources in one familiar

place for students.

Classroom Introduction:

In the first week, students received a 10-minute

walkthrough on how to use the enhanced slides—no

special training required.

Student Support & Feedback Collection:

QiMeta staff visited again the following week to

answer questions and gather feedback. At the end

of the course, students completed a survey on

their experience.

Content

Selection

Enhancement

LMS

Integration

Classroom

Introduction

Support &

Feedback

Student Feedback

Students consistently highlighted how

QiMeta helped them better understand

complex concepts and study more

effectively. Many appreciated its simplicity,

responsiveness, and accessibility across

devices—making it easier to focus and retain

material in a demanding course. Below are

direct testimonials:

“For the first time, I really saw firsthand just

how much it helped me retain the content.

Specifically, it helped me remember not to

mix up the steps of the Cell Cycle and Cell

Division (mitosis)... I get very easily distracted

while studying, so I’m grateful to have this

tool at my fingertips.”

“QiMeta helped a lot with better explaining

somatic cells vs. genetic cells and how they

divide into daughter cells. I also appreciated

that I was able to use QiMeta on my laptop,

phone, and iPad... which can be inconvenient

if I don’t have my computer with me.”

RESULTS AND IMPACT

“Rather than get distracted trying to scan my

books for specific material, QiMeta allowed

me to gain a deeper understanding without

overwhelming me... It filtered the content

down to the core concepts, and if I needed

further information, it provided more details.”

“I liked that difficult concepts were already

highlighted with definitions/explanations

readily available.”

AT MY

FINGERTIPS

helps stay on track

reliable

& efficient

At a Glance: What students valued most — focus, clarity,

access, and ease of use.

Teacher Feedback

Teachers also shared how QiMeta helped

their students stay focussed, understand

complex materials more easily, and engage

more deeply with the content. Below are

direct testimonials:

“The embedded links kept the students more

interested in the material because they could

instantly explore an idea they were curious

about.” -Karen D. Wheeler, MS, MMP, DABR -

Medical Physicist

“Students did not have to leave the content

they were reading to "google" a topic for

further explanation. AI certainly kept them

more focused and less distracted. When

students "google" topics for further

explanations, it is difficult to assess the

authenticity of the referenced material.

Ultimately, I believe this will result in better

long term retention of course content.”

-Theresa Levitsky, MA, RT - Program Director

“Being able to "engage" with the AI enhanced

material is a great feature since it enables

students to ask specific questions based on

their current level of understanding and their

learning styles.” -Theresa Levitsky, MA, RT -

Program Director

Survey Results

A student survey conducted at the end of the

course showed strong satisfaction with

QiMeta’s learning tools:

Overall satisfaction: 4.3 out of 5

Perceived effectiveness as a learning

tool: 4.0 out of 5

These scores reflect how students valued the

accessibility, clarity, and support QiMeta

provided throughout the course.

Satisfaction Eectiveness

Student Survey Results

Figure 6 - Student satisfaction and effectiveness

of learning were rated high.

Academic Performance

Student test scores were analyzed to

compare outcomes between cohorts using

standard materials and those using QiMeta.

The results are still early — no statistically

significant differences yet — but test

conditions were consistent (no AI assistance),

and the Class of 2025 (AI assistance used for

learning and studying) performed comparably

to prior years.

With only 12 students in this pilot group, more

data is needed to assess long-term academic

impact.

Data is pictured in Figure 7

Figure 7 - 2025 test performance after learning with QiMeta

were comparable, but more data needed

Analysis

QiMeta may not dramatically change test

scores in the short term, but students

consistently reported that it made content

easier to understand and less frustrating to

review. For academically rigorous courses,

even modest improvements in

comprehension and accessibility can be

meaningful.

Student feedback also suggested that QiMeta

helped simplify dense material and

potentially reduce the time needed to study

effectively. While not yet measured formally,

these are promising areas for future research

as we continue to evaluate the tool’s long-

term impact on student performance and

engagement.

QiMeta was designed to help students

overcome some of the most persistent

challenges in education—especially in

complex, technical subjects. While test

score impact is still being studied, students

consistently report that it makes reading

easier, studying more focused, and learning

more engaging.

QiMeta keeps students focused by eliminating the need

to leave the page for definitions.

When students hit a block, QiMeta delivers instant,

contextual support.

CONCLUSION

Impact on Nursing Education

The deployment of QiMeta at Capital Health School of

Radiologic Technology demonstrated the potential of AI-

enhanced learning in unfamiliar subject areas such as

radiation physics for nursing students. Students

appreciated the interactive, accessible, and personalized

learning experience, and their feedback suggests QiMeta

helped them stay focused and better understand difficult

concepts.

By integrating AI into nursing education, Capital Health is

taking a proactive approach to enhancing student

learning and better preparing the next generation of

healthcare professionals.

Workforce Development

Implications

While this case study focuses on nursing education, the

challenges it addresses—such as low literacy levels,

limited instructor capacity, and the need for scalable,

high-quality training—are shared by many industries

seeking to modernize workforce development. QiMeta

offers a flexible, replicable model for institutions looking

to enhance training and learning outcomes with minimal

disruption to existing operations.

By leveraging instructors’ existing content, QiMeta

streamlines the process of integrating AI into workforce

training. Its intuitive platform transforms static materials

into dynamic, interactive learning experiences that

promote comprehension, engagement, and accessibility.

The deployment process is designed for ease of adoption:

Content Selection – Instructors identify existing

materials (e.g., slides, readings) that would benefit

from AI enhancement.

AI Integration – Instructors can either apply highlights

themselves or opt for QiMeta’s support team to

enhance content as part of the subscription service.

Distribution – Students receive direct access to the

AI-enhanced content via shareable links, enabling

immediate integration into classroom or self-paced

learning environments.

Future Directions

Although early test score data has yet to demonstrate a

statistically significant improvement, the overwhelmingly

positive student feedback signals strong potential for

long-term educational benefits. Moving forward, Capital

Health is expanding QiMeta’s implementation to

additional nursing courses and other technical

disciplines. Larger-scale evaluations will help assess the

platform’s effectiveness across broader learning

contexts.

Future impact assessments will include quantitative

metrics such as:

Course performance and grade improvement

Course completion rates

Student retention and engagement levels

For workforce development institutions adopting QiMeta,

relevant metrics may also include:

Job placement rates among program graduates

Instructor workload reduction and time reallocation

Reduced remediation needs for foundational skills

QiMeta’s long-term value lies in its ability to address two

of the most persistent challenges in education and

training: low literacy rates and insufficient representation

in STEM. According to the National Center for Education

Statistics, 54% of U.S. adults read below a sixth-grade

level—a sobering statistic with significant implications for

workforce readiness. By making complex content more

accessible and less intimidating, QiMeta has the potential

to improve literacy outcomes and support equitable

access to high-demand STEM fields.

As demonstrated through this pilot, QiMeta offers a

scalable, low-friction approach to enhancing content

comprehension—empowering learners without

encouraging dependency. Its mission is to close

educational gaps and uplift communities through AI-

powered knowledge enhancement. By reducing barriers

to learning, supporting under-resourced educators, and

fostering curiosity-driven engagement, QiMeta aims to

drive transformational impact across education,

employment, and economic equity.

REFERENCES
1. USAHS. (2024). Understanding the Nursing Shortage: Causes and
Solutions. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Retrieved from https://www.usa.edu/blog/nursing-shortage/ 
2. Nightingale College. (2024). Nursing Shortage by State:
Projections & Data. Retrieved from https://nightingale.edu/blog/
nursing-shortage-by-state.html 
3. National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). (2024).
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www.ncsbn.org/research/recent-research/workforce.page 
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Sheet: Nursing Shortage. Retrieved from https://
www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage 
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michaeltnietzel/2020/09/09/low-literacy-levels-among-us-adults-
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9. Financial Times. (2023). America’s Skills Gap: How Retraining
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content/aafd3d6e-9518-46b4-ab2f-9bacf4f9a442 
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enhance student learning? A systematic review and meta-analysis
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105224

Institutions across healthcare,

manufacturing, education, and beyond

can benefit from piloting QiMeta as an AI

tool to bridge skill gaps, support instructor

capacity, and promote learner autonomy.

CAN QIMETA HELP

YOUR INSTITUTION?

C O N T A C T U S

Founder and CEO,

Ruhul Quddus

Princeton, NJ

www.qimeta.ai.com

rquddus@qianalysis.com

@QiMeta on LinkedIn