Universal Design for Instruction in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

The aim of the study was to explore the use of universal design for instruction (UDI) in nursing education.

Educators seek to employ innovative pedagogies accessible to diverse learners across learning environments. UDI, an inclusive strategy for meeting this goal is not well known in nursing education.

An integrative review was used to meet the study's aim. Five databases were searched for literature published between 2000 and 2013.

Of 45 articles retrieved, only three studies and 14 feature articles met the inclusion criteria. A literature matrix was used to synthesize major concepts to create theme labels: marginalized students as a vulnerable population, faculty lack of knowledge of UDI, reactive versus proactive instructional design, and best teaching practices.

The lack of UDI knowledge by educators is a barrier to its usage. Implications and recommendations for adopting universal design in nursing education are discussed.