"They bring the topic of social justice but stop there": Nursing students' perceptions of teaching practices that develop awareness and engagement with social justice

Pedagogical frameworks grounded in social justice, such as decolonizing and anti-racist educational practices, are essential in nursing programs. While scholars have begun to examine nurse educators' conceptualizations of social justice, there remains a lack of knowledge about student perspectives regarding nurse educators' approaches to incorporating social justice in education.BACKGROUNDPedagogical frameworks grounded in social justice, such as decolonizing and anti-racist educational practices, are essential in nursing programs. While scholars have begun to examine nurse educators' conceptualizations of social justice, there remains a lack of knowledge about student perspectives regarding nurse educators' approaches to incorporating social justice in education.To understand nursing students' perceptions about educational strategies that develop critical awareness and engagement with social justice and positively influence professional practice.OBJECTIVETo understand nursing students' perceptions about educational strategies that develop critical awareness and engagement with social justice and positively influence professional practice.A qualitative study informed by Critical Feminist Pedagogy and guided by Interpretive Description methodology.DESIGNA qualitative study informed by Critical Feminist Pedagogy and guided by Interpretive Description methodology.A school of nursing in Western Canada.SETTINGSA school of nursing in Western Canada.Ten undergraduate and graduate nursing students recruited through convenience sampling.PARTICIPANTSTen undergraduate and graduate nursing students recruited through convenience sampling.Students participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. A set of questions developed to facilitate data analysis allowed the deconstruction of the data to identify broad-based inductive categories. Contrast and comparison methods were also used. Members of the research team provided analytic insights into the categories, and subsequently, all members discussed the findings and developed the interpretive frame.METHODSStudents participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. A set of questions developed to facilitate data analysis allowed the deconstruction of the data to identify broad-based inductive categories. Contrast and comparison methods were also used. Members of the research team provided analytic insights into the categories, and subsequently, all members discussed the findings and developed the interpretive fram