Transition shock among nursing students during clinical practice: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education Research
• Clinical Practice Adaptation
• Healthcare Workforce Transition

Background:

• Transition shock is a prevalent negative experience for nursing students, hindering their adaptation to clinical practice.
• This shock impacts the transition to registered nurse roles and can contribute to attrition from the nursing profession.
• While research on nursing student transition shock is increasing, a comprehensive overview is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review to summarize assessment tools, influencing factors, impacts, and intervention strategies for nursing student transition shock.
• To identify existing knowledge gaps in the research on transition shock among nursing students.
• To guide future research endeavors in this critical area of nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Adherence to Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review guidelines.
• Comprehensive literature search across 12 databases and grey literature (May 2009-December 2024, English/Chinese).
• Independent screening, data extraction, and analysis by two researchers, with third-party resolution for discrepancies.

Main Results:

• This section will present synthesized findings on assessment tools, influencing factors, impacts, and interventions.
• Data will be presented using figures, tables, and descriptive narratives.
• The review will highlight identified knowledge gaps in the literature.

Conclusions:

• This scoping review will provide a comprehensive summary of the current research landscape on nursing student transition shock.
• Findings will elucidate key areas for future research and intervention development.
• The results will inform strategies to support a smoother transition for nursing students into professional practice.