Education programs on emerging and reemerging infectious disease outbreak management for pre-registration Nursing and Medical Students: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION

Preparing the future healthcare workforce in managing emerging and reemerging infectious disease (ERID) outbreaks is critical. However, knowledge gaps remain in education programs for ERID outbreaks for pre-registration nursing and medical students.

AIM: To comprehensively identify existing ERID outbreak education programs for medical and nursing students, summarizing evidence on program design, curriculum content, learning outcomes, and student experiences.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Eligible studies were searched from inception to 1st November 2025 across nine databases (Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, MedNar, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest). Two reviewers screened for eligible studies and appraised the quality of included studies independently. This was followed by data charting and narrative synthesis of findings.

RESULTS

Among the 38 included studies, ERID outbreak management programs for medical (n = 16) and nursing (n = 22) students predominantly targeted COVID-19 and involved short-duration (1 to 5 h) online or simulation-based methods. Curriculum content of these programs included fundamentals of infectious diseases, epidemiology and surveillance, clinical management of infected persons, infection prevention and control and public health and pandemic preparedness. Nursing curricula emphasised infection prevention and control while medical programs prioritised epidemiology and clinical patient management. Most programs reported improvements in knowledge and clinical procedural skills, particularly via simulation. Non-procedural skills (e.g., critical thinking) and psycho-emotional outcomes (e.g., anxiety, fear and preparedness) yield inconsistent results. Students favour experiential learning but highlighted gaps in interdisciplinary collaboration and stress management.

CONCLUSION

This review identified curriculum design gaps in ERID outbreak management education programs and provided future pedagogical directions to prepare a pandemic-ready healthcare workforce. Key strategies include scaffolding ERID content across pre-registration training, incorporating interprofessional education, and leveraging blended pedagogies to balance theoretical and experiential learning. Future programs should integrate realistic scenarios to simulate emotional stressors, foster resilience, and evaluate knowledge and skill retention.