Remediation in clinical practice for student nurses - A scoping review

Background: Clinical practice provides an opportunity for undergraduate nursing students to develop the professional attitudes, knowledge and skills required for the delivery of safe competent care. Some students, however, are challenged to consolidate learning in clinical practice and are therefore at risk of failing courses or programmes. Supporting these students requires remediation strategies specific to clinical practice. This is challenging, however, as remediation approaches frequently centre on supporting students in theoretical components of courses/programmes, rather than clinical practice.

Objectives: A scoping review was conducted to explore and summarise literature in undergraduate nurse education related to remediation support for clinical practice.

Methods: The research question was developed using the Population/Concept/Context model. Following the identification of keywords, five databases (CINHAL Plus, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Scopus and Informit) were searched. Abstracts and full-text articles were independently screened by two authors. Data from included studies was extracted and then thematically analysed.

Results: Twenty papers met inclusion/exclusion criteria (five literature reviews, one concept analysis, six commentary papers and eight original research studies). Research studies used qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research designs. Populations included nurse academics, mentors/preceptors, health professional students (including nursing students) and nursing students exclusively. Three themes were identified: pre-placement remediation strategies; on-placement remediation strategies and post-placement remediation strategies. All authors highlighted the importance of remediation for at-risk students in clinical practice.

Conclusions: This review identified several remediation strategies that may support undergraduate nursing students in clinical practice. Few, however, were well-defined or rigorously evaluated, highlighting the need for additional research on nursing student remediation in clinical practice. A partnership-based approach to remediation that engages students, educators, and healthcare providers and is underpinned by clear processes may be of further benefit to nursing students in clinical practice.