Learning to lead: A scoping review of undergraduate nurse education

To explore undergraduate student's preparation for leadership roles upon registration.

Effective leadership is vital when promoting positive workplace cultures and high-quality care provision. However, newly registered nurses are not always well-prepared for leadership roles.

A scoping review of primary research published in English between 2009 and 2019 was undertaken. Data were analysed using an adapted version of Arksey and O'Malleys' (2005. International Journal of Social Research Methodology: Theory and Practice, 8, 19) framework. Nine papers met the review eligibility criteria.

Findings revealed three themes: leadership education content; positioning of leadership education within the nursing programme; and teaching and learning delivery.

The review highlighted some agreement about the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be addressed in leadership education. What varied more was the pedagogical methods used to deliver this, the extent of its integration throughout the programme and the nature of collaborative academic-practice working to ensure good quality clinical supervision.

(a) Students must be exposed to positive leadership practices during clinical placements to facilitate theory-practice integration. (b) Bullying negatively impacts on students' self-efficacy whereas positive role modelling from registered nurses supports development of leadership competence. (c) Leadership theory and competence should be introduced early and revisited throughout the programme.