Exploring Educational and Training Skills of Nephrology Nurses: Scoping Review

Background. Chronic kidney disease poses global health risks, requiring specialized nursing skills and ongoing professional development. The objective of this review was to identify postgraduate nurse education programs in nephrology and dialysis. Design. A scoping review following the framework given by Arksey and O'Malley was conducted using five databases: Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ASSIA and CINAHL. The research was supplemented by consulting gray literature. Screening of articles, data extraction and quality appraisal were independently performed by two authors. The included articles examined the modalities of skills acquisition by nephrology and dialysis nurses. Critical appraisal was conducted using JBI critical appraisal tools. Results. Out of 8789 records identified, 20 were included in this review. Analysis of the data indicated that nephrology and dialysis nurses acquire their skills through both structured training pathways and professional experience. This review identified a lack of standardized training pathways in this field, resulting in global heterogeneity in training programs. Educational interventions typically comprised theoretical and practical components, often delivered through a combination of teaching methods. Additionally, professional training was found to be essential for skill acquisition, with variations in reliance on mentorship, individual study, and direct experience. Conclusion. Despite the heterogeneity of existing training courses, this study outlines existing knowledge, laying the foundations for a review and standardization of training courses and underlining the need for a clear definition of nephrology and dialysis nurses' skills for curriculum development.