Administration approaches of nursing assistants in hospitals: a scoping review

Objectives The administration of nursing assistants is closely associated with patient outcomes, but the current situation needs improvement. Studies evaluating intrahospital administration of nursing assistants are limited, and there is a lack of available evidence-based reviews in this field. This study aimed to identify existing literature on intrahospital nursing assistants’ administration approaches. Design Scoping review. Search strategy We searched fifteen electronic databases for English and Chinese articles published between January 2011 and March 2022. Publications on administration approaches, models and appraisal tools of intrahospital nursing assistants were included. Results Thirty-six studies were eligible for the review with acceptable quality. We identified one administration model, nine administration methods, fifteen educational programs, and seven appraisal tools from the included studies. The frequency effect size analysis yielded 15 topics of the main focus at four levels, suggesting that included articles were mainly (33%) focused on the competency of nursing assistants, and the lectures were the most (80%) used strategy in quality improvement projects. Evidence from the studies was of low-to-moderate quality, indicating huge gaps between evidence-based research and management practice. Conclusions A series of practical intrahospital administration approaches was revealed, and fifteen primarily focused topics were identified. We should explore this area more thoroughly using structured frameworks and standardized methodology. This scoping review will help managers find more effective ways to improve the quality of care. Researchers may focus more on evidence-based practice in nursing assistant administration using the 15 topics as a breakthrough. Strengths and limitations First scoping review of practical administration approaches for nursing assistants in hospitals. Presenting the main topics and focus of related articles. Development of the nursing assistant administration was widely varied among countries. Most of the included studies were of moderate-to-low methodological quality, and a huge gap exists between evidence-based research and management practice.