Digital technologies supporting prelicensure nursing students' clinical placement experiences: A scoping review

To map and describe the available evidence on digital technologies supporting prelicensure nursing students' clinical placement experiences, focusing on technology types, learning outcomes, student experiences and implementation challenges.

Clinical placements are fundamental to prelicensure nursing education. Digital technologies increasingly support students' preparation, learning, communication, assessment and monitoring, but evidence on their applications, use and implementation remains fragmented.

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and grey literature were searched for sources published between 2020 and 2025. Sources investigating digital technologies used before or during placements to prepare for, facilitate, monitor, or support students' clinical learning were eligible for inclusion.

Eighteen sources were included: fifteen peer-reviewed studies and three grey literature sources. The mapped evidence included mobile applications, virtual simulation, web-based technologies and programme-level virtual or blended placement models. Reported learning outcomes included clinical reasoning, knowledge, competence, skills, confidence, reflection and metacognition. Student experiences and implementation challenges were reported heterogeneously; identified challenges mainly involved technical, organisational and user-related factors. Evidence on metacognition, reflection and longer-term transfer to practice and programme level implementation remained limited.

The evidence base is heterogeneous in technology type, educational function, outcome measurement and implementation context. More consistent terminology, validated outcome measures and clearer implementation reporting are needed, particularly for reflection, metacognition and transfer to practice.