Pain Education in Entry-to-Practice Nursing Curricula: A Scoping Review Authors

This scoping review aims to systematically map and synthesise the existing literature on pain education within entry-to-practice nursing curricula globally. The purpose of the project is to examine how pain-related content is conceptualised, taught, and assessed in undergraduate and other entry-to-practice nursing programmes across diverse international contexts. Guided by established scoping review methodology and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR, this review seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of current educational practices in pain education for nurses. The expected outcomes of this project include the identification of strengths, gaps, and inconsistencies in how pain education is delivered and evaluated worldwide. Findings will inform nurse educators, and curriculum designers about areas where pain education may be insufficient, fragmented, or misaligned with evidence-based pain management. The review is also expected to highlight opportunities for curriculum enhancement, including the integration of evidence-based, competency-focused, and person-centred approaches to pain education. Ultimately, this work aims to support the development of more consistent, comprehensive, and effective pain education in entry-to-practice nursing programmes, with the potential to improve graduate readiness and the quality of pain assessment and management in clinical practice.