The education received by nursing students regarding nursing older people: a scoping literature
review
Sammanfattning
The situation of an ageing population is a priority for all levels of society globally, particularly
related to the subsequent increased demand for care. Nurses are often the primary source of this
care; therefore, research is required to develop the curricula of nursing education, to help them meet
this demand. The primary aim was to analyse empirical studies that have tackled nursing students'
education concerning nursing older people. This analysis was targeted at generating an overall
picture of the research in this field in order to determine the areas that require further study. A
scoping literature review was conducted through systematic searches in the following electronic
databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to
Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).
These searches were limited to studies with an available abstract, in English, which were conducted
between 1999 and 2012. Two researchers independently applied the same inclusion and exclusion
criteria to select the studies for analysis. In total, 66 articles were included in the analyses. The
results were validated by the research team. The primary research areas identified included both the
learning outcomes and the implementation of nurses' education in caring for older people. Students'
general attitudes towards older people and ageing dominated the studies regarding learning
outcomes. There was a large variation in the description of the validity and trustworthiness of the
studies, with most being only at a moderate level. A limited number of studies examining the specific
learning outcomes and factors influencing the implementation of education exist. Vague reporting
about the validity and trustworthiness of the studies limits the use of their findings. More well-
designed studies are needed to guide educational strategies to improve students' competence in
nursing older people and to promote this field as a career choice. Published by arrangement with
John Wiley & Sons.