Examining the effectiveness of teaching political activism to undergraduate nursing students: A scoping review

The aim of this scoping review was to identify, examine and synthesise published literature reporting on the teaching of political activism to undergraduate nursing students.

As frontline healthcare professionals, nurses are well-positioned to address complex sociopolitical issues that influence the healthcare landscape. Nurses have a known history of activism, including advocating for and acting to influence policy changes that improve healthcare access, health justice and patient outcomes. Activism requires competence or astuteness to be enacted successfully, so it is, therefore, essential to understand how nursing education programs currently develop students' skills in activism to prepare graduates to meet professional expectations.

A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidelines. Comprehensive searches were performed in CINAHL, MEDLINE, ERIC and EMBASE databases. The data from the included papers were analysed inductively, with findings presented narratively.

Of the 401 studies identified, eight met the inclusion criteria. Varied approaches for teaching politics and political activism to nursing students were reported in the included papers. Key outcomes included knowledge acquisition, attitudinal change and increased confidence in activism. Few of the papers described rigorous evaluation methods, with only two using validated instruments to measure effectiveness, and three having conducted formal data analysis.

Political activism education is purported to be effective in developing undergraduate nursing students' political astuteness and capacity for political participation. However, the current evidence base is limited, highlighting the need for more rigorous research to support this assertion and to inform curricula.