Pedagogical approaches to foster caring behaviors among nursing students: A scoping review

Developing caring behaviors in nursing students is crucial for improving patient care quality. Despite the variety of pedagogical approaches employed to cultivate these behaviors, their comparative effectiveness remains underexplored.

This review systematically examined various pedagogical approaches used to foster caring behaviors among nursing students and evaluated their outcomes.

This study employed a scoping review design.

A comprehensive search across five databases-PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC-was conducted for studies published from January 2000 to the present. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed in reporting the findings.

A total of 22 studies were included in the review. The review identified four primary pedagogical approaches: (1) simulated interactive learning, (2) caring-centered educational programs/courses, and (3) immersion/service learning. All approaches demonstrated positive outcomes in enhancing students' caring behaviors.

Employing a diverse range of pedagogical approaches, aligned with experiential, cognitive, and behavioral learning theories, significantly enhances the development of caring behaviors in nursing students. However, the review highlighted the need for more rigorous study designs to further validate these findings.

Nurse faculty should incorporate a variety of pedagogical approaches into nursing education to address different learning needs and enhance the development of caring behaviors. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these approaches and their long-term impact on nursing practice.