The Impact of Nursing Education Innovation on the Quality of Care for Elderly Hospitalized Patients: A Systematic Review Based on Student Competency Development

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of emerging nursing education interventions in improving nursing students’ competency in caring for elderly inpatients, and their subsequent indirect impact on the quality of life and psychological well-being of elderly patients. Study Design: A systematic review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies Databases sources Cochrane Library, Pubmed, CNKI, Eric; Google Scholar was used to search for grey literature and the reference lists of the retrieved papers. Review Methods: A research protocol was developed according to the PRISMA-P guidelines. Two reviewers conducted the selection process. The “JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist” was used to check the quality of the selected studies. Results: We included 15 studies: 3 multicenter randomized controlled trials and 12 quasi-experimental studies. Among them, 9 studies demonstrated significant advantages of nursing education interventions in alleviating patient symptoms, improving quality of life, and enhancing psychological indicators. However, when compared with other nursing intervention methods, the results showed diversity. 7 studies highlighted the effectiveness of nursing education interventions in enhancing family caregivers’ nursing capabilities and patients’ and families’ autonomous learning abilities. Regarding problem-solving and critical thinking skills, the results were inconsistent. Nursing education interventions promoted family caregiver engagement but did not appear to be directly linked to better caregiving abilities. Conclusion: Innovative nursing education reliably enhances student competencies and offers promise for indirectly improving elderly inpatients’ quality of life and psychological well-being, though direct evidence remains limited and further research is needed. Keywords: nursing education, quality of life, psychological, elderly, inpatients