Conceptualization, Contexts, and Measurement of Nursing Theoretical Literacy: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Nursing theory and conceptual models are central to nursing as a knowledge discipline, yet theory is often perceived as abstract and difficult to operationalize in education and practice. This persistent theory-practice tension suggests variability in nurses' and nursing students' capability to access, interpret, critique, and apply theoretical knowledge in ways that shape praxis. Nursing theoretical literacy (NTL) is an emerging, practice-oriented literacy construct that may help specify this capability and enable systematic assessment and educational innovation; however, its conceptual boundaries, contextual uses, and measurement approaches remain unclear.

This scoping review aims to map (1) how NTL (and closely related constructs) is conceptualized and defined in the nursing literature, (2) the contexts and populations in which NTL is discussed, applied, or studied, and (3) the extent to which NTL has been operationalized and assessed, including available instruments, rubrics, audit indicators, observational indicators, or assessment frameworks.

This scoping review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Using the population-concept-context framework, we will include English- and Chinese-language sources across nursing education, clinical practice, leadership/management, and nursing research. We will search MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM), complemented by grey literature searching such as OSF, dissertations/theses, institutional and professional association websites, and citation chasing. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved by consensus or a third reviewer. Data will be charted using a piloted extraction form and synthesized through descriptive mapping, conceptual mapping such as thematic synthesis of definitional elements and construct boundaries, and a measurement inventory summarizing assessment approaches and reported measurement properties.

As of February 13, 2026, the search strategies for PubMed and CNKI have been pilot-tested and refined, confirming the feasibility of the concept-mapping approach. Searches are planned for May-June 2026, screening for June-July 2026, data charting for July-August 2026, and synthesis and manuscript preparation for August-September 2026. Results are expected to be submitted for publication in late 2026.

This scoping review will provide an evidence map of how NTL is conceptualized, where it appears across nursing contexts, and how it is operationalized and assessed. Findings will describe how conceptual boundaries have been represented in the literature, identify gaps and priorities, and support downstream work such as hybrid concept analysis and the development or adaptation of NTL assessment tools.

This protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF; rj5au); https://osf.io/rj5au.