The education received by nursing students regarding nursing older people: a scoping literature review

Abstract

The situation of an ageing population is a priority for all levels of society globally, particularly related to the subsequent increased demand for care. Nurses are often the primary source of this care; therefore, research is required to develop the curricula of nursing education, to help them meet this demand. The primary aim was to analyse empirical studies that have tackled nursing students' education concerning nursing older people. This analysis was targeted at generating an overall picture of the research in this field in order to determine the areas that require further study. A scoping literature review was conducted through systematic searches in the following electronic databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). These searches were limited to studies with an available abstract, in English, which were conducted between 1999 and 2012. Two researchers independently applied the same inclusion and exclusion criteria to select the studies for analysis. In total, 66 articles were included in the analyses. The results were validated by the research team. The primary research areas identified included both the learning outcomes and the implementation of nurses' education in caring for older people. Students' general attitudes towards older people and ageing dominated the studies regarding learning outcomes. There was a large variation in the description of the validity and trustworthiness of the studies, with most being only at a moderate level. A limited number of studies examining the specific learning outcomes and factors influencing the implementation of education exist. Vague reporting about the validity and trustworthiness of the studies limits the use of their findings. More well-designed studies are needed to guide educational strategies to improve students' competence in nursing older people and to promote this field as a career choice.