Aim <p>To explore the relationships between nurses’ anxiety and attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and the factors associated with them.</p> Background <p>Although AI technologies are increasingly integrated into healthcare, research exploring nurses’ psychological readiness and emotional responses to AI remains limited. Existing studies have primarily focused on nursing students or general healthcare professionals, leaving a gap in understanding how practicing nurses perceive and emotionally adapt to AI within real clinical environments—particularly in Türkiye, where digital transformation in healthcare is accelerating. Addressing this gap is essential, as nurses play a pivotal role in ensuring the safe and ethical implementation of AI-driven tools in patient care.</p> Methods <p>This descriptive and correlational study included 562 nurses from 14 branches of a private hospital chain across seven Turkish cities between November 2024 and January 2025. This sample was selected because it represents nurses actively engaged in clinical decision-making within healthcare systems that are rapidly adopting AI technologies. According to a power analysis performed in G*Power (ρ = 0.25, α = 0.05, power = 0.95), the required sample size was 202 participants. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising a Descriptive Information Form, the AI Anxiety Scale, and the General Attitudes toward AI Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA (F), Tukey post hoc test, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Ethical approval was obtained from the Fenerbahçe University Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained digitally.</p> Results <p>Nurses reported moderate anxiety levels and generally positive attitudes toward AI. Male nurses showed an association with lower anxiety levels and higher positive attitude scores than female nurses. Single individuals and those with higher levels of education showed higher positive attitudes toward AI. Those with 0–3 years of experience in the profession were associated with lower anxiety and higher positive attitude scores. Nurses who used AI in practice, were knowledgeable about its use, or perceived it as reliable showed a relationship with lower anxiety and more positive attitudes. Regression analysis showed that each one-unit increase in the learning and AI configuration subscales of the AI Anxiety Scale was associated with a 0.740- and 0.716-point lower score in the total attitude score, respectively.</p> Conclusion <p>The findings suggest that lower levels of anxiety related to learning and AI configuration are associated with more positive attitudes toward AI. Addressing these specific anxiety domains may be related to the successful integration of AI technologies into clinical practice and could be linked to the digital transformation in healthcare.</p> Relevance to clinical practice <p>Nurses’ perceptions of AI directly influence their willingness to use AI-enabled systems in patient care. Supporting nurses’ digital literacy and confidence in AI can reduce anxiety, enhance patient safety, and promote effective clinical decision-making.</p> Reporting method <p>Reported in accordance with the STROBE guidelines.</p> Patient or public contribution <p>By reducing nurses’ anxiety and fostering positive attitude toward AI, this study underscores potential benefits for patient care, including improved decision-making, patient safety, and healthcare efficiency.</p>