Aug 2026· Journal of Education Society and Behavioural Science· 0 citations
TL;DR
The synthesis shows that Ghana’s central challenge is not a simple choice between enrolment growth and quality, and access should be defined as effective access: fair entry, supported progression, exposure to sufficient accredited learning opportunities, attainment of demonstrable competence and a realistic transition into appropriately distributed employment.
Abstract
Ghana has expanded nursing and midwifery education to increase the supply of health professionals, yet educational growth has not consistently translated into clinically prepared graduates, equitable deployment or timely employment. This critical narrative review examines how access can be widened without weakening academic, clinical and professional preparedness. Literature published from 1 January 2000 to 5 June 2026 was identified through accessible scholarly indexes, citation searching and authoritative institutional sources. Evidence was appraised for design quality, measurement validity, geographical coverage, consistency and relevance to the education-to-workforce pathway. The synthesis shows that Ghana’s central challenge is not a simple choice between enrolment growth and quality. It is a coordination problem across admissions, faculty capacity, curriculum delivery, clinical-placement density, preceptor preparation, simulation and digital infrastructure, regulation, transition support and funded employment. Ghanaian studies consistently identify overcrowded placements, variable supervision, weak feedback, uneven educator preparation and theory–practice discontinuities, but most are cross-sectional, qualitative or based on self-reported experience. Consequently, confidence is stronger regarding the presence of system constraints than regarding the causal effect of particular reforms on objective competence or patient outcomes. Access should therefore be defined as effective access: fair entry, supported progression, exposure to sufficient accredited learning opportunities, attainment of demonstrable competence and a realistic transition into appropriately distributed employment. A capacity-linked expansion model is proposed in which admission ceilings are informed by faculty, simulation, placement and labour-market capacity, while equity safeguards prevent quality regulation from excluding applicants from underserved regions or disadvantaged backgrounds. Immediate priorities include national clinical-site accreditation, protected and trained preceptorship, shared simulation hubs, stronger educator development, longitudinal graduate tracking and integrated education–workforce data. Expansion remains necessary, but its public value depends on whether every additional place is accompanied by the learning and employment conditions required for safe, respectful and context-responsive practice.
A unified educational framework that integrates these components is required to enable confident, adaptable, and practice-ready midwives, and to identify gaps in the existing literature to inform a coherent and future-ready educational framework.
A significant gap exists between Kenya's digital health policy ambitions and nursing graduates' competencies and context-appropriate digital tools are urgently needed.
Francisca Mibei, D. Ongori, D. Adero· International Journal of Dig...· 0 citations
Embedding structural changes within assessment design, rather than relying on rule enforcement, will ensure nursing and midwifery graduates are prepared to thrive in an AI-enabled world.
Y. Salamonson, Pauletta Irwin, R. Kornhaber et al.· Journal of Clinical Nursing· 0 citations
This review examined the rapid expansion of telehealth and virtual nursing consultation across rural communities and long-term care environments, with emphasis on adoption, effectiveness, implementation conditions, and equity. A structured narrative review approach was used to synthesise peer-reviewed evidence published before and in 2021, drawing on studies from North America, Europe, Asia, Nigeria, and other African settings. The analysis considered delivery models, nursing roles, organisational readiness, clinical and operational outcomes, user experiences, ethical concerns, and long-term policy requirements.
The findings indicate that virtual care improved access to specialist advice, continuity, triage, chronic disease monitoring, caregiver support, and coordination, while reducing travel, infection exposure, and some avoidable institutional transfers. Nurses were central to remote assessment, education, documentation, escalation, and interdisciplinary liaison. However, effectiveness varied according to broadband availability, digital literacy, platform usability, workforce competence, reimbursement, interoperability, and clinical appropriateness. Rural residents, frail older adults, people with cognitive or sensory impairment, low-income households, and minority-language populations remained disproportionately exposed to exclusion. Evidence also showed that emergency adoption often outpaced governance, privacy safeguards, technical support, and evaluation.
The review concludes that telehealth should be embedded within hybrid, person-centred systems rather than treated as a substitute for all face-to-face care. Sustainable implementation requires stable financing, accessible technologies, clear regulatory standards, workforce development, and reliable referral pathways. Greater participation by patients, caregivers, nurses, and local communities is also necessary to ensure culturally responsive service design. It is recommended that future research prioritise longitudinal effectiveness, cost, safety, nursing workload, resident autonomy, and equity, particularly in underrepresented rural and African contexts, while ensuring transparent oversight of remote monitoring, artificial intelligence, and predictive technologies.
Abimbola Caleb Adesemoye, Esther Sydney, Glory Ohunyon· International Journal of Mul...· 0 citations
AIM
This study aimed to examine ongoing gaps in clinical nursing faculty preparation and identify evidence-based strategies to strengthen orientation, mentorship, and credentialing.
BACKGROUND
Clinical educators, particularly adjunct and part-time faculty, are central to translating classroom learning into practice, yet the literature consistently reports limited structured support and professional development for these roles.
METHOD
This review examined 21 peer-reviewed studies published from 2009 to 2025 and identified recurring themes. Reports from professional organizations and national competency frameworks, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies, and the National League for Nursing certification standards, were also reviewed.
RESULTS
Four themes emerged: inconsistent orientation, limited mentorship, minimal use of credentialing frameworks, and fragmented collaboration across academic and professional groups.
CONCLUSION
Standardized orientation, sustained mentorship, and accessible credentialing supports are needed to strengthen teaching quality, support faculty retention, and prepare clinical educators for contemporary practice.
THE ISSUE
Pre-licensure nursing programs are accountable for preparing nurses who can recognize and address social and structural determinants of health (SSDOH), yet nursing faculty have limited evidence to guide the selection of active-learning strategies that develop this competency. Since the pandemic, microlearning, problem-based learning (PBL), and gamification have been increasingly incorporated into health professions education programs; however, limited guidance exists regarding their relative contributions to SSDOH competency development. This contemporary issue uses Bereday's comparative method to interpret and compare health professions education literature (2022-2025) across five criteria aligned with SSDOH competency frameworks. We argue that these strategies serve distinct educational purposes rather than interchangeable ones: microlearning builds foundational knowledge and shared language, PBL develops systems thinking and ethical reasoning, and gamification promotes engagement with the lived experiences that shape health outcomes. We propose a scaffolded, blended sequence in which microlearning, PBL, and gamification develop complementary dimensions of SSDOH competence that no single strategy can achieve on its own.
Karla S Kerkove, S. Kotcherlakota· Nurse Education Today· 0 citations