Horizontal integration of bioscience and nursing in first-year nursing curricula: A systematic review

Objectives: To systematically identify, appraise and summarise available evidence related to the horizontal integration of bioscience and nursing in first-year nursing curricula; to examine students', nurses' and academics' perceptions of the integration and provide recommendations for future curriculum development, practice and research priorities. Design: A systematic review. Data sources: An online search of Ovid Medline, Ovid Emcare, CINAHL, Embase Classic + and Embase, ERIC, A+Education, Scopus (Elsevier) and Google Scholar was conducted between July and September 2021. A manual search of the reference list of included articles was also undertaken. Review methods: This systematic review followed The PRISMA Statement. The study selection process was managed using the Covidence software platform and quality was assessed using JBI Critical appraisal tools and Mixed Methods Appraisal tools. A narrative synthesis of included studies was undertaken. Results: Six articles were identified which met the inclusion criteria. The study population included students, academics and registered nurses. Four studies used clinical scenarios as a method of horizontally integrating bioscience and nursing content. The integration outcomes were measured by student understanding and learning, satisfaction and motivation. Students', nurses' and academics' perceptions of integration challenges were: i) depth of bioscience content; ii) structure of bioscience content; and iii) knowledge and experience. Conclusions: This systematic review did not identify a wide range of methods to integrate bioscience in first year nursing curricula. The use of clinical scenarios increased student understanding and learning. However, teaching academics needed to be cognizant of both nursing and bioscience to achieve the required depth of bioscience content and demonstrate integration of bioscience in nursing practice. There is a need for further investigations of methods of horizontal integration of bioscience and nursing in the first-year nursing curricula.