Recommendations for the Support of Clinical Facilitators' Mental Well‐Being in Undergraduate Health Professions Education: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION: The multifaceted responsibilities borne by clinical facilitators can impose a significant strain on their mental and emotional health and well-being. Within nursing and other healthcare professions, the responsibilities of clinical facilitators extend beyond conventional clinical duties to encompass supervising, facilitating, assessing, and supporting students as they transition into professional nursing practice. There is a need for insights into the well-being of clinical facilitators in the face of demanding work conditions, limited resources, and the emotional toll of patient care. This article critically reviews the literature to determine the current state of mental well-being among clinical facilitators in undergraduate health professions education and how they should be supported. METHOD: A scoping review guided the study using the Population, Context, Concept framework with a search string incorporating associated Boolean operators. 233 records were retrieved from eight databases and reviewed according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 13 full-text articles were found to be eligible for extraction and analysis. RESULTS: Major findings resulted in thematising mental health issue characteristics according to high and low job demands and burnout. Literature outlined the causes of mental health issues, including lack of recognition and appreciation, work performance, teaching and learning practices, student characteristics, support structures, and the environment. Recommendations included training, appropriate support systems, workload, guidelines, monitoring, community of practice, and research-oriented support. CONCLUSION: Educational institutions must move beyond ad hoc support and implement integrated, strategic initiatives grounded in the principles of the Job-Demand-Control model. Future research should focus on developing and rigorously evaluating multifaceted intervention programmes that address these systemic factors. By investing in the well-being of clinical facilitators, institutions ultimately invest in the quality of future healthcare providers and the safety of the patients they will serve. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article sets the tone for factors to consider and provides recommendations for educational institutions to better support the mental well-being of clinical facilitators.