The bachelor’s thesis in nursing education: A scoping review

IF 3.3 3区医学 Q1 NURSING

Nurse Education in Practice Pub Date : 2025-04-14 DOI:10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104371

Elisabeth Irene Karlsen Dogan , Mari Kjendsli , Pinar Ekiz , Ann-Kristin Fjørtoft

{"title":"The bachelor’s thesis in nursing education: A scoping review","authors":"Elisabeth Irene Karlsen Dogan , Mari Kjendsli , Pinar Ekiz , Ann-Kristin Fjørtoft","doi":"10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104371","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To explore the existing research literature on the bachelor’s thesis in nursing education.</div></div><div><h3>Background</h3><div>The bachelor’s thesis is a crucial component of the nursing bachelor program, introduced in response to the Bologna Process. Despite its recognized importance and integration into nursing programs across most EU member states, limited research has been conducted on this topic.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The EBSCOhost databases selected for the review included CINAHL, Education Source, MEDLINE and ERIC. The systematic search yielded a total of 1693 references, of which 21 studies were included.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The assessed articles were categorized into five themes: (a) nursing students’ experiences and perspectives; (b) supervision of the bachelor’s thesis; (c) content of bachelor’s thesis; (d) nursing students’ learning outcomes from the bachelor’s thesis; and (e) assessment and evaluation of the bachelor’s thesis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings highlight that, for most students, the thesis project was seen as an important preparatory tool for future professional activities. The relationship with and role of the supervisor were identified as crucial, emphasizing the need for nursing education programs to support both students and supervisors in navigating this complex dynamic. Undertaking a bachelor’s thesis in nursing education also increased students’ interest in and positive attitudes toward research and development. This indicates that the bachelor’s thesis can provide essential knowledge and skills for future nursing practice and care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48715,"journal":{"name":"Nurse Education in Practice","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 104371"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nurse Education in Practice","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595325001271","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

To explore the existing research literature on the bachelor’s thesis in nursing education.

Background

The bachelor’s thesis is a crucial component of the nursing bachelor program, introduced in response to the Bologna Process. Despite its recognized importance and integration into nursing programs across most EU member states, limited research has been conducted on this topic.

Design

A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).

Methods

The EBSCOhost databases selected for the review included CINAHL, Education Source, MEDLINE and ERIC. The systematic search yielded a total of 1693 references, of which 21 studies were included.

Results

The assessed articles were categorized into five themes: (a) nursing students’ experiences and perspectives; (b) supervision of the bachelor’s thesis; (c) content of bachelor’s thesis; (d) nursing students’ learning outcomes from the bachelor’s thesis; and (e) assessment and evaluation of the bachelor’s thesis.

Conclusions

Findings highlight that, for most students, the thesis project was seen as an important preparatory tool for future professional activities. The relationship with and role of the supervisor were identified as crucial, emphasizing the need for nursing education programs to support both students and supervisors in navigating this complex dynamic. Undertaking a bachelor’s thesis in nursing education also increased students’ interest in and positive attitudes toward research and development. This indicates that the bachelor’s thesis can provide essential knowledge and skills for future nursing practice and care.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Nurse Education in Practice NURSING-

CiteScore

5.40

自引率

9.40%

发文量

180

审稿时长

51 days

期刊介绍： Nurse Education in Practice enables lecturers and practitioners to both share and disseminate evidence that demonstrates the actual practice of education as it is experienced in the realities of their respective work environments. It is supportive of new authors and will be at the forefront in publishing individual and collaborative papers that demonstrate the link between education and practice.