The integrative review: a threshold concept for graduate entry to nursing students

This discussion addresses challenges for Graduate Entry Nursing students in undertaking integrative reviews. These novice researchers make two simultaneous identity shifts, in developing a nursing identity and being required to construct an identity as a scholarly researcher. For novices, the integrative review is a threshold crossing that is optimally traversed with supervisory critical companionship to enable success. This discursive article is drawn from three academics’ experiences of student supervision and collegial mentoring in a Graduate Entry Nursing programme. We provide a critical reflection on integrating empirical learning along with the extant literature pertaining to integrative reviews. Additionally, the notion of threshold concepts is incorporated to foreground common pitfalls experienced and their remedies. Undertaking an integrative review plays a significant role in transitioning Graduate Entry Nursing students into comprehending the importance of situating nursing care in evidence-based practice. Supervising Graduate Entry Nursing students undertaking integrative reviews may appear straightforward to follow clearly described steps. However, for novice researchers there are common pitfalls at each stage. Students require supervisory oversight to ensure rigour and internal consistency throughout the project. This article signposts common pitfalls for novice researchers and conceptual and methodological ‘red flags’ for supervisors to heed early to ensure projects are rigorous and publishable. Graduate Entry to Nursing students’ supervision experience is enhanced when there is supervisory cognisance of integrative reviews as a threshold crossing. For students, a nursing identity incorporating a researcher identity is invaluable for enhancing evidence-informed practice. We recommend that supervisors become familiar with the concept of threshold concepts to guide their supervisory practice with Graduate Entry to Nursing. This article highlights that these students are simultaneously growing a nursing identity; coming to appreciate the role of evidence-based practice in nursing; and developing a scholarly researcher identity. These shifts occur more readily when supervisors are transparent with students about these processes.