Social justice education in nursing: An integrative review of teaching and learning approaches and students' and educators' experiences

Objectives: To synthesize literature about teaching social justice to nursing students and identify approaches for effective teaching of social justice issues in nursing education. Design: An integrative review. Data sources: Literature was searched in CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and OVID databases. In total, 32 articles were assessed for full-text eligibility, and 18 articles published from January 2011 until August 2021 were critically appraised and reviewed. Review methods: Articles were appraised using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data analysis and synthesis were completed using literature summary tables, constant comparative analysis, and thematic synthesis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines were followed for reporting. Results: Two themes: Teaching Approaches Fostering Student Learning of Social Justice and Capabilities Promoting Effective Teaching and Learning about Social Justice were generated. The teaching and learning approaches included experiential, reflective and case based. The necessary capabilities to foster social justice education were intrapersonal assessment and collaboration of educators and students. Conclusions: Participating in interactive, group, and relational simulations and service-learning, interpersonal dialogues, and collaborative work in critical community-based pedagogies has the potential to develop students' competencies to practice social justice in their everyday practice. Nurse educators should be mindful of personal biases and competencies concerning social justice and take proactive steps to develop competencies for effectively teaching students. Nurse educators can implement teaching strategies integrating real clinical cases to improve students learning of social justice and impartial care for vulnerable populations.