Evaluating Leadership Competencies in Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Scoping Review

Background Nurse leaders play a pivotal role in advancing patient care and strengthening healthcare systems. Nursing leadership is a set of foundational competencies that must be cultivated from the outset of nursing education and developed throughout a nurse's professional career. Evaluating leadership competency in undergraduate nursing students is critical, yet current assessment processes are varied and underexplored. Purpose To identify and synthesize the literature on evaluative processes used in undergraduate nursing education to assess leadership competency in clinical practice through a scoping review. Methods The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology was used to search, screen, and extract data. Databases in the literature search included CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses – Full Text. A targeted grey literature search and citation search were also conducted. Searches were completed in June 2024, depicted in a PRISMA Flow Diagram. Results 606 sources were reviewed, and 11 met the inclusion criteria. The review identified significant variability in the frameworks, tools, and definitions used to evaluate nursing student leadership competencies. While all sources used validated tools, most articles lacked standardized methods. Conclusions Evaluating leadership competency in undergraduate nursing programs is a complex process. Without a broadly accepted definition of nursing leadership, standardized frameworks, and evaluation measures, it is difficult to assess leadership skills and behaviours, hindering the preparation of future nurse leaders.