Trauma-informed learning environments for nursing students in higher education

Trauma refers to distressing experiences that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope, extending beyond single catastrophic events to include ongoing or repeated adversity. It can also result from indirect exposure, such as witnessing or hearing about traumatic events. Given its complex and individualised nature, trauma remains a critical concern in Higher Education (HE), yet educational approaches to mitigate its impact receive limited attention. Implementing trauma-informed practices in HE is essential to addressing the barriers trauma creates for students and staff. This scoping review aims to synthesise trauma-informed practice in nursing education within Higher Education (HE) in Europe, Switzerland, and the UK from a socio-cultural perspective. Given the diverse ways in which trauma is understood and addressed across cultural and educational contexts, this review explores how trauma-informed approaches are integrated into nursing education at multiple levels. By mapping existing frameworks, challenges, and best practices, it seeks to provide insights into how socio-cultural factors shape the implementation of trauma-informed education in both countries.