Application of the Threshold Concept Framework in Nursing: An Integrative Review

The shift to concept-based curricula requires nurse educators to be selective with disciplinary content to avoid overburdening curricula. Although educators strive to make these concepts explicit, some learners find them troublesome. These troublesome concepts are often threshold concepts, which are critical to understanding disciplinary knowledge.

The purpose of this integrative review was to examine how the threshold concepts framework has been applied within nursing to facilitate student learning of troublesome knowledge.

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative literature review methodology was used.

Twenty articles were included representing a diverse selection of literature. Data analysis resulted in 3 themes: framing difficult knowledge, developing pedagogical strategies, and designing nursing curricula.

The threshold concepts framework aids in redesigning pedagogy to engage students at critical points in the learning process, helping them successfully navigate encounters with troublesome knowledge. The framework also provides guidance for identifying and sequencing concepts critical to the discipline to avoid overcrowded curricula.