Student nurses’ perception of academic and clinical learning environment in developing countries: a scoping review

This research project is a scoping review that aims to systematically map and synthesise existing empirical evidence on student nurses’ perceptions of academic and clinical learning environments in developing countries, recognising these environments as critical determinants of educational quality, professional competence, and student well-being. The study seeks to address persistent fragmentation in the literature arising from conceptual inconsistencies, diverse measurement approaches, and uneven regional coverage, which collectively limit the development of contextually appropriate educational and policy interventions. Guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), the review employs a comprehensive, multi-database search strategy to identify qualitative and mixed-methods studies exploring student nurses’ experiences and evaluations of learning environments. Through systematic study selection, structured data extraction, and descriptive and thematic synthesis, the project is expected to generate an integrated overview of prevailing perceptions, influencing factors, and contextual challenges within academic and clinical settings. The anticipated outcomes include identification of key themes related to supervision, mentorship, institutional support, psychosocial safety, and alignment between theory and practice, as well as the delineation of methodological and geographical evidence gaps. Ultimately, the findings are intended to inform evidence-based improvements in nursing education, contribute to safer and more supportive learning environments, and support broader goals related to educational quality, mental well-being, and workforce sustainability in resource-constrained contexts.