Entrustable Professional Activities in Nursing Education: A Review Study

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Nursing, Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Professor, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Medical Sciences Education Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22038/nnj.2025.88174.1490

Abstract

Background and Aims:
Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) assist students in mastering the essential skills required after graduation and in the workplace. Although EPAs have been introduced and defined in some medical disciplines, they have only recently been recognized in nursing education. The present review study was conducted to examine EPAs in nursing education.
Materials and Methods:
In this review study, a search for English-language articles was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from 2015 to 2025. After removing duplicates, studies relevant to the objective were included. Exclusion criteria included languages ​​other than English and studies lacking full text. Ultimately, 8 articles were reviewed. The studies were classified into undergraduate and graduate nursing fields. Most of the studies pertained to the undergraduate level.
Results:
The studies were pertained to the undergraduate level included tools for assessing clinical procedures, improving clinical practice and evaluating the readiness to begin clinical practice based on EPAs. At the graduate level, EPA tools were introduced for nurse specialists in medical-surgical and post-graduation.
Conclusion:
Based on the findings of this study, three practical implications of the EPA include curriculum development, assessment tools, and the need to prepare nursing staff for clinical entry. Therefore, it is recommended that administrators, faculty, and educational decision-makers in nursing incorporate the identified EPAs into their curricula and equip students for effective performance in clinical settings.

Keywords

References

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Navid No
Volume 28, Issue 94
September 2025
Pages 79-94

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