The effectiveness of partnership models in clinical nursing education – A scoping review

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of partnership models in clinical nursing education with regards to cost effectiveness; student employability, work-readiness, confidence, and competence; and stakeholders' satisfaction. Design: Scoping review. Data sources: Research studies published in English were searched electronically through EbscoHost (CINAHL and ERIC), Scopus, Medline (via Ovid), ProQuest Central, and Web of Science databases. Criteria were developed to guide the selection of original studies published in English before 2019 for review. Review methods: Arksey and Malley's framework (2005) and relevant enhancements guided the conduct of the review. An informal appraisal of selected studies was applied. Results: Two theses and 31 articles with a variation in methodologies, methods, sample sizes, research populations and quality of evidence were included for review. Four themes were identified: (i) Description of partnership models in clinical education, (ii) length of model implementation prior to evaluation, (iii) positive qualitative findings, and (iv) quantitative findings limited by data collection periods and methods. Conclusions: Shared among the reviewed studies is stakeholder view of the positive impacts of partnership models on the clinical learning environment, and the increased level of support and individualised instruction for students. However, the use of not fully validated survey instruments and the lack of description about the implementation period before evaluation in many reviewed studies limit the interpretation of quantifiable effect of the partnership models. This review identifies a lack of attention on student employability, work-readiness, cost evaluation, patient perspective, and partnership models in low-income countries. Future research to address these knowledge gaps using high quality data collection methods and rigorous research design is warranted.