Educating the Digital Nurse: A Scoping Review of Nursing Informatics in Pre-licensure Programs

This scoping review examined how nursing informatics has been integrated into pre-licensure nursing education programs and how informatics competency has been assessed from 2017 to 2024.

Searches were conducted in MEDLINE and CINAHL in May 2024 for English language, peer-reviewed studies involving pre-licensure nursing students. Eligibility criteria included original research focused on informatics instruction or assessment. Two reviewers independently screened records; disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Data were extracted into a structured matrix and synthesized thematically.

Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria, featuring diverse designs and instructional strategies such as simulation-based learning (n=10), academic EHR integration (n=4), and peer-led instruction (n=3). Most studies used researcher-developed assessment tools (n=14), whereas standardized instruments were infrequently applied. Few studies explicitly aligned informatics instruction with clinical judgment frameworks.

Findings indicate increasing, although inconsistent, integration of nursing informatics. Assessment practices lack standardization, and theoretical grounding is limited.