Narrative review of 23 articles on nursing student education for vulnerable population mental health needs

This narrative review examines the nursing education literature to identify methods, content, outcomes, and gaps in curricula addressing the mental health needs of vulnerable populations. The analysis included 23 articles drawn from the nursing education literature. The scope covers various vulnerable groups, with the focus of articles primarily on children, adolescents, LGBTQ+ individuals, military veterans, and individuals exposed to trauma.

Active teaching strategies were identified as the most common curricular approaches used in these educational interventions. Most of the included studies reported improvements in student knowledge, confidence, or self-efficacy following these educational experiences. However, the representation and evaluation of trauma-informed care were notably less common compared to other curriculum areas.

The authors note that trauma-informed care was less represented and evaluated than other areas within the reviewed literature. This narrative review does not provide specific study populations, intervention details, or adverse event data because such trial-level details are not present in the source text. The practice relevance indicates that nurses often feel unprepared to respond to the mental health needs of vulnerable populations.