Mitigating Cognitive Overload in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cognitive Science in Learning

Background:

• Nursing students face significant cognitive challenges integrating academic and clinical learning.
• High cognitive demands can lead to cognitive overload, impairing information processing and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review factors influencing cognitive load in nursing education.
• To explore strategies for mitigating cognitive overload among nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Integrative review methodology based on Whittemore and Knafl.
• Searched 5 electronic databases for articles published between 2020 and 2025.
• Included 22 relevant articles in the final synthesis.

Main Results:

• Strategies to reduce cognitive load include scaffolding and multimodal instruction.
• Emotional regulation and student support, like real-time coaching and cognitive aids, are effective.
• These interventions support learners' cognitive processing and knowledge retention.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing instructional design with cognitive principles is key for effective nursing education.
• Reducing cognitive load enhances student learning and academic outcomes.
• Targeted strategies can alleviate cognitive strain in nursing students.