Aim A global shortage of nurses in rural areas is contributing to poorer health outcomes. Educational mobility, or progression from one level of formal nursing qualification to the next, is a valuable approach for recruiting and retaining a skilled nursing workforce. The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature in relation to the factors that shape educational mobility for rural nurses. Design A scoping review was conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Methods Medline, CINAHL, Emcare, Scopus and ERIC were searched using a defined search strategy. Google Scholar and targeted web searching were used to locate grey literature. English- language, peer-reviewed publications and grey literature published between 2003 and 2025 from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries that authorise nurses with different levels of formal qualifications to practise were included. Results Two categories were identified: 1) intrinsic factors, and 2) contextual factors. Intrinsic factors included two sub-categories: 1) Professional aspirations and citizenship, and 2) self-perception of academic capability. Contextual factors included five sub-categories: 1) role availability, visibility and clarity; 2) financial considerations; 3) competing commitments; 4) availability of local opportunities, and 5) connection and support. Of the 30 included papers, the majority were from the United States (US) (n = 20) and focused on nurses completing undergraduate study. Gender invisibility was identified as a key gap in the literature. Conclusion Further research is needed to understand the range of contemporary contextual factors that shape educational mobility for rural nurses. Inclusion of nurses undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate study is imperative. Future research must make gender visible to inform sociocultural support for rural nurses who wish to pursue further education.
Aims Disability is a major global public health issue. Disability-related content remains inconsistently incorporated into nursing education, contributing to variability in how future nurses are prepared to care for persons with disabilities. This scoping review examined the diverse teaching and learning strategies used to integrate disability-related content into nursing curricula worldwide and to understand the impacts these strategies have on nursing student learning outcomes. Design Scoping review. Data sources Five electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC) were searched for English-language publications published between 2015 and 2025. Review methods The review followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework, with guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The authors independently screened studies and extracted data using standardized procedures. Findings were synthesized descriptively. Results Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Four primary areas of interest emerged: gaps and inconsistencies in disability education, educational approaches, the role of lived experience and patient involvement, and the impact on student learning outcomes. Studies originated primarily from the United States, with additional evidence from Türkiye, New Zealand, Israel, and the Netherlands. Disability education was often instructor-led rather than program-wide. Educational approaches varied, including lectures, simulation, clinical experiences, experiential learning, standardized patients, and persons with disabilities as educators. Studies reported improvements in empathy and attitudes, but few evaluated knowledge acquisition, clinical competence, or used standardized outcome measures. Common barriers included limited curricular time, insufficient faculty expertise, and lack of institutional support. Conclusions Disability education in undergraduate nursing programs remains heterogeneous and largely dependent on individual faculty. Institutional integration and consistent evaluation of educational outcomes would strengthen the evidence base. This review mapped educational approaches, student outcomes, identified important gaps in the literature, and provides a foundation for future research examining systematic and sustainable approaches to disability-inclusive nursing education.
Background Nursing leadership competencies are essential to address evolving healthcare system challenges, including changes in disease patterns, workforce shortages, and technological advances. Nursing trainees have increasingly diverse migration and socioeconomic backgrounds; however, evidence remains limited on their perceptions of the leadership competencies and attributes needed for future workplaces. Aims This study aims to explore nurse trainees' perceptions of the leadership competencies and personal attributes needed to address healthcare system challenges, and to examine how these perceptions are associated with General Self-efficacy, leadership aspiration, immigration and socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among final-year nursing trainees in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data were collected in German using previously published questionnaires and additional study-specific single-item questions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including factor analysis, were performed. Results A total of 142 final-year nurse trainees participated. Participants were predominantly female, and 57% reported being born in Germany. Factor analysis of leadership competencies and personal attributes indicated a two-factor structure: Adaptive Clinical Decision-Making and Staff Engagement & Development. Particularly highly rated competencies and attributes included leaders' ability to adopt alternative perspectives, create a work environment that promotes knowledge sharing, foster clear communication, and support professional development. Higher General Self-efficacy was associated with higher ratings of the leadership competencies considered necessary in navigating healthcare system challenges. Participants with an immigration background reported higher General Self-efficacy and greater interest in taking on future leadership positions. Discussion Nurse trainees from diverse backgrounds appeared to share a broadly similar understanding of nursing leadership, particularly valuing the fostering of supportive work environments and professional growth. Their perceptions broadly corresponded with current understandings of nursing leadership. Although the findings are tentative, nurse trainees with an immigration background reported higher General Self-efficacy and leadership aspirations, which could benefit a diverse future nursing workforce.
Background Advanced practice nurses (APNs) increasingly work autonomously in complex and evolving healthcare environments, drawing on advanced clinical expertise, leadership, evidence translation and system-level decision-making. While contemporary competency-based education provides an important framework for developing and assessing professional competence, a capability approach offers a complementary educational approach to postgraduate APN education that can foster adaptability, critical reflection, self-directed learning and professional agency, Contemporary issue While contemporary literature recognises capability as essential to the APN role, less is known about the educational conditions through which capability can be developed. This requires attention not only to the outcomes expected of advanced practice nurses, but also to pedagogical frameworks through which capability may be fostered. Discussion This paper examines capability as a framework for APN education and considers how it can be developed through learner agency, authentic experiential learning, critical reflection and appropriate academic scaffolding. Student-led Individually Created Courses (SLICCs) are proposed as a practical mechanism for operationalising capability-orientated education within postgraduate nursing curricula. By enabling nurses to identify learning priorities, negotiate learning outcomes, engage with authentic practice challenges and critically reflect on their development, SLICCs may help foster the judgement, autonomy and lifelong learning required for advanced practice. However, the application of SLICCs in postgraduate nursing education remains unexplored. Conclusion SLICCs provide a promising mechanism for translating a capability approach into educational practice, although further research is required to evaluate their contribution to capability development and advanced nursing practice.
