Using Narrative Practices in Health Professions Education to inform Nursing Education: A Scoping Review

AIM: To map the use of narrative practices and related tools in health professions education and identify transferable implications for their structured integration into nursing curricula. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted according to the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and reported following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework guided the review. Qualitative and quantitative primary studies, mixed-methods studies, reviews, were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Scopus. RESULTS: Of 588 records identified, 27 studies are included: 22 primary studies, and 5 reviews. Narrative practices were implemented through a variety of narrative tools, including reflective writing, close reading, storytelling, narrative portfolios, diaries, visual thinking strategies, arts-based learning, film-based learning, drama-based education, and role-playing. Across health professions education, these approaches promoted reflection, self-awareness, empathy, emotional intelligence, communication and relational skills, professional identity development, ethical awareness, patient-centred care, and clinical reasoning. Considerable heterogeneity emerged regarding educational objectives, implementation strategies, duration, and outcome assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Narrative practices, and each narrative tool (NT), provide valuable educational approaches for developing the relational, emotional, and reflective competencies required in contemporary healthcare education. Mapping the available evidence offers an evidence-informed basis for integrating narrative practices into nursing curricula. Their structured implementation may strengthen reflective practice, professional identity, emotional resilience, and person-centred care, complementing traditional educational strategies and supporting a more humanistic approach to nursing education.