A meta-synthesis of person-centredness in nursing curricula

Abstract

Background: Person-centred approaches to practice are synonymous with effective healthcare. It is therefore important that the nursing workforce values, recognises and demonstrates person-centred practice. This has implications for nursing education and how curricula prepare students for person-centred practice.

Aim: To conduct a meta-synthesis of person-centredness in nursing curricula.

Method: Meta-synthesis.

Results: The meta-synthesis included 48 papers. Four themes were identified:

Moving beyond mediocrity (dissatisfaction with current teaching and learning approaches, and a desire to enhance curricula to promote person-centredness)

Me, myself and I (promoting person-centredness in nursing curricula requires all participants in nursing education to have self-knowledge)

The curricular suitcase (nursing curricula have finite capacity so the inclusion of person-centredness is an essential requirement for the career journey)

Learning elevators (it is important to prioritise learning cultures and experiences that help students understand and enact person-centred practice)

Conclusion: This study has found that nurse educators aspire to and are committed to the promotion of person-centred practice. Internationally, a range of pedagogies and curricular developments to promote person-centredness have been positively evaluated. However, there is generally a lack of conceptual clarity about the nature of person-centredness and no evidence of a systematic approach to whole-curriculum development that reflects the theoretical principles of person-centred practice.

Implications for practice development:

Person-centred practice is a prominent concept in healthcare policy. If the future nursing workforce is to be prepared for person-centred practice then proficiency standards and nursing curricula should consistently reflect this Nursing curricula need to be developed to encompass a breadth and depth of learning experiences in academic and practice settings, in order to optimise student learning about those issues that matter most to people in need of healthcare