Mentorship programs for nurse educators accompanying nursing students on international placements to low-middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review will synthesize literature on mentorship programs for nurse educators who accompany nursing students on international placements to low-middle-income countries. Introduction: University nursing programs have been increasingly incorporating global health education into their curricula. Nurse educators play a significant role in the provision of international clinical experiences for nursing students by supporting and developing confidence and clinical competence. The contribution of nurse educators can affect a student’s decision to remain in the profession, suggesting that providing quality professional development for nurse educators is a worthwhile investment. The challenges that come with this role require the development of a mentorship program for nurse educators who accompany nursing students on international placements to low-middle-income countries. Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will include studies that consider mentorship programs for nurse educators who accompany nursing students on clinical placements in low-middle-income countries. This scoping review will consider experimental and quasi-experimental studies, qualitative studies, text and opinion papers, dissertations, theses, conference reports, and gray literature. Studies published within the previous 40 years will be included as a systematic approach to global education started in the early 1980s. Methods: Databases to be searched include MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (Ovid), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), and Global Health (Ovid). Following screening, all identified citations will be collated. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers. Potentially relevant studies will be retrieved in full and assessed for inclusion. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers and presented in diagrammatic or tabular format and accompanied by a narrative summary.