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Background Critical thinking is an essential set of skills in nursing education, and nursing education therefore needs a sharper focus on effective ways to support the development of these skills, especially through the implementation of technological tools in nursing education. Objective The aim of this study protocol is to assess the feasibility of a technology-supported guidance model grounded in the metacognition theory for nursing students in clinical practice. Methods Both quantitative (research questionnaires) and qualitative (focus group interviews) approaches will be used to collect data for a feasibility study with an exploratory, flexible mixed methods design to test a newly developed intervention in clinical practice. Results The intervention development was completed in December 2020. The intervention will be tested in 3 independent nursing homes in Norway. Conclusions By determining the feasibility of a technology-supported guidance model for nursing students in clinical practice, the results will provide information on the acceptability of the intervention and the suitability of the outcome measures and data collection strategy. They will also identify the causes of dropout and obstacles to retention and adherence. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/31646

Background Critical thinking is an essential skill that nursing students need to develop. Technological tools have opened new avenues for technology-supported guidance models, but the challenges and facilitators of such guidance models, as well as how they stimulate the development of critical thinking, remain unclear. Objective We developed a protocol for a mixed methods systematic review to investigate the use of technology-supported guidance models that stimulate the development of critical thinking in nursing education clinical practice. Methods A convergent integrated design following the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis will be employed. A pair of authors will select the articles by screening titles and abstracts, and the methodological quality of the articles included in the review will be assessed by a pair of authors according to checklists for specific study designs. The data will be extracted using the standardized Joanna Briggs Institute mixed methods data extraction form and following a convergent integrated approach. The thematic synthesis for data transformation will be used. Results Development of a comprehensive systematic search strategy was completed in October 2020. The database searches were performed on October 21, 2020. As of January 2021, analysis and synthesis is ongoing. Completion of this review is expected by January 2021. Conclusions By combining evidence from studies with varied methodological approaches, the results should provide broad insight into the use of technology-supported guidance models for clinical practice in nursing education with a focus on the development of nursing students’ critical thinking. The results of this mixed methods systematic review can also be used to develop or improve current technology-supported guidance models for clinical practice in nursing education. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/25126

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Background Nursing education has increasingly focused on critical thinking among nursing students, as critical thinking is a desired outcome of nursing education. Particular attention is given to the potential of technological tools in guiding nursing students to stimulate the development of critical thinking; however, the general landscape, facilitators, and challenges of these guidance models remain unexplored, and no previous mixed methods systematic review on the subject has been identified. Objective This study aims to synthesize existing evidence on technology-supported guidance models used in nursing education to stimulate the development of critical thinking in nursing students in clinical practice. Methods This mixed methods systematic review adopted a convergent, integrated design to facilitate thematic synthesis. This study followed the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Results We identified 3 analytical themes: learning processes implemented to stimulate critical thinking, organization of the learning process to stimulate critical thinking, and factors influencing the perception of the learning process. We also identified 4 guidance models, all based on facilitator or preceptorship models using tailored instructional or learning strategies and one or several technological tools that were either generic or custom-made for specific outcomes. The main facilitators of these technology-supported guidance models were nurse educators or nurse preceptors, and the main challenges in using technology-supported guidance models were the stress associated with technical difficulties or increased cognitive load. Conclusions Although we were able to identify 4 technology-supported guidance models, our results indicate a research gap regarding the use of these models in nursing education, with the specific aim of stimulating the development of critical thinking. Both nurse preceptors and nurse educators play a crucial role in the development of critical thinking among nursing students, and technology is essential for such development. However, technology-supported guidance models should be supervised to mitigate the associated stress. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/25126