Nurses’ informal learning in clinical settings: a scoping review

In clinical environments, learning is integral to nurses’ initial and ongoing professional development. Alongside formal education, nurses continuously engage in informal learning through clinical experiences, interactions, observation, reflection and problem-solving. However, how nurses experience informal learning, its facilitators and barriers and its outcomes remains insufficiently understood. This review explored these aspects of informal learning among clinical nurses. This scoping review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework (2005) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑analyses (PRISMA) 2020 standards. The literature search was conducted on 25 June 2026, across Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus, with dual screening based on established criteria. Citation searching identified additional studies. Data extraction used an adapted Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) template, and findings were reported through narrative synthesis. From 2266 records, 29 studies met inclusion criteria, predominantly from the United Kingdom and Australia and largely relying on qualitative methods. Five principal learning categories emerged: (1) experience, observation and practice; (2) social and relational dimensions of learning; (3) how context shapes learning; (4) individual dispositions and proactive behaviours; and (5) the paradox of informal learning: asset or hazard? Clinical nurses experience informal learning as an ongoing, practice-embedded process through everyday clinical experiences, interactions with colleagues, observation, reflection, problem-solving and professional and digital resources. These experiences support knowledge and skill development, clinical decision-making, confidence and professional development, consistent with situated and experiential learning theories. However, its unstructured nature may lead to variability and potential risks to the consistency and accuracy of learning.