Novel Methodologies in Nurse Education Research: Tackling the Complexity of Demonstrating Educational Outcomes

CALL FOR PAPERS

Novel Methodologies in Nurse Education Research: Tackling the Complexity of Demonstrating Educational Outcomes

Journal: Nurse Education Today

Publisher: Elsevier

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026

Introduction

The landscape of healthcare has undergone significant transformation in recent years — challenging nurse educators to reimagine both educational practices and research methodologies. This pivotal moment necessitates a shift beyond studies that merely measure satisfaction and engagement of nursing and midwifery students — toward research that demonstrates meaningful impact on learning outcomes and patient care.

Despite considerable methodological development in nurse education research, studies predominantly rely on satisfaction and engagement metrics as proxies for educational effectiveness. Nurse education now faces a transformative moment — with growing demand for evidence that establishes clear connections between educational interventions and measurable outcomes.

This Special Issue promotes thoughtful consideration of both traditional and novel approaches — particularly those demonstrating how nurse education tangibly influences student competency and patient outcomes. Rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake, the editors seek methodologies that meaningfully bridge the gap between educational intervention and demonstrable impact.

Scope & Significance

This Special Issue invites contributions that harness both established and innovative methodologies to advance nurse education theory and practice. Methodology evolves in response to societal contexts and emerging needs — and this Special Issue seeks research that responds to the pressing demands of contemporary healthcare education by demonstrating how learning translates into real-world clinical and patient outcomes.

Critical Questions Addressed

The Special Issue invites contributions that address the following critical questions:

1. What methodologies might be engaged to respond to pressing issues in nurse education and demonstrate impact beyond self-reported outcomes?

2. How might well-established methodologies be conceptualised and used in new ways to link educational interventions to measurable educational, professional, organisational, and patient outcomes?

3. How might new and emerging methodologies address complex research problems and questions in nurse education and healthcare?

4. How might innovative methodological approaches allow us to make sense of the transfer of learning from classroom and clinical learning environments to clinical practice?

List of Topic Areas

Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:

1. Novel and emerging methodologies for measuring educational outcomes in nursing and midwifery education

2. Methodological innovation linking educational interventions to student competency development

3. Transfer of learning — from classroom and simulation to clinical practice

4. Patient outcomes as measures of nursing educational effectiveness

5. Reframing established methodologies for new applications in nurse education research

6. Simulation-based learning — methodological approaches to outcome measurement

7. Mixed-methods and multi-method designs in nursing education research

8. Longitudinal and real-world evidence approaches in nurse education

9. Qualitative, quantitative, and participatory methodologies for complex educational research problems

10. Theoretical frameworks underpinning methodological innovation in nurse education

11. Digital and technology-enhanced learning — evaluating outcomes and effectiveness

12. Clinical learning environments — methodological approaches to assessment and evaluation

13. Interprofessional education — measuring collaborative competency outcomes

14. Systematic reviews of methodological advances in nursing and midwifery education research

Key Considerations for Authors

Authors are encouraged to:

• Clearly articulate the methodological innovation or novel application being presented

• Demonstrate how the methodology addresses the gap between educational interventions and measurable outcomes

• Present a theoretical framework supporting the methodological approach

• Discuss the strengths and limitations of the methodology

• Consider implications for future nurse education research and practice

Guest Editors

Dr. Jay Jung Jae Lee The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Email: leejay@hku.hk

Dr. Marco Tomietto (Contact for Topic Inquiries) Northumbria University, UK Email: marco.tomietto@northumbria.ac.uk

Key Deadlines

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026 (Authors may submit at any time before the deadline)

Submission Guidelines

Submit your manuscript via the Nurse Education Today official submission platform. When submitting, select Article Type:

"VSI: Novel Methodologies in Nurse Education Research"

The Special Issue welcomes original research papers, systematic reviews, and methodological articles.

All submissions deemed suitable will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Once accepted, articles will be simultaneously published in the current regular issue and featured in the online Special Issue.

For any inquiries about contribution topics, contact Dr. Marco Tomietto at marco.tomietto@northumbria.ac.uk.

All submissions must be original and must not be under review elsewhere at the time of submission.

Why Publish in This Special Issue?

• Special Issue articles are downloaded twice as often within the first 24 months compared to regular issue articles

• Special Issue articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months

• Articles are published together on ScienceDirect — easy for researchers to discover your work

• All articles reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts

About the Journal

Nurse Education Today, published by Elsevier, is a leading international peer-reviewed journal with a CiteScore of 8.6 and Impact Factor of 4.2. It supports open access publishing and is dedicated to advancing research and scholarship in nursing and midwifery education — providing a global platform for scholars and educators exploring pedagogical innovation, clinical learning, curriculum development, and the evidence base for effective nurse education practice worldwide.

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