Nursing curriculum and bullying: An integrative literature review

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this integrative review was to identify and synthesize key concepts that inform curriculum which increase nursing students' competence, skills and strategies when addressing bullying. Specifically, the authors sought to examine the concepts informing educational interventions, skills, and strategies, which addressed the bullying of nursing students.

Design: Integrative literature review.

Data sources: A search of the electronic databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, ERIC, PsycINFO, Proquest, and PubMed was conducted in January 2016 using search terms such as 'bully' 'nursing student' 'education' and 'curriculum'.

Review methods: Articles were screened for relevance and eligibility and extracted onto a table. Critical appraisal was conducted using multiple tools. Papers were analysed using constant comparison and concept mapping.

Results: 61 articles were included in the synthesis. Concepts identified included: empowerment, socialization, support, self-awareness, awareness about bullying, collaboration, communication, and self-efficacy. All concepts linked to empowerment. Social Cognitive Theory was used by many studies. Active teaching methods which gave students opportunities to practice skills were the most effective.

Conclusions: Empowered nursing students have the potential to address bullying more effectively and competently. Empowerment of nursing students is a powerful concept that educators must consider when developing curriculum and educational interventions to address bullying.

Keywords: Bullying; Curriculum; Empowerment; Nursing education; Nursing students.