Psychological First Aid in nursing: a scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/bh8jcd63Keywords:
Psychological First Aid, Nursing, Nursing Education, Clinical Competence, Disasters, ReviewAbstract
Psychological first aid (PFA) constitutes an initial psychosocial support intervention; its adoption by nursing staff was studied in a fragmented manner. The objective was to map the scientific evidence on training, competencies, interventions, and experiences of nursing staff in relation to PFA, published between 2021 and 2026 in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR extension, based on the Population-Concept-Context framework. The search was conducted in eight databases. Selection was carried out in two phases through Rayyan, with independent peer review. Of 415 records, 20 primary studies met the criteria. Research output concentrated in Türkiye with 5 studies (25.0%), China with 2 (10.0%), and South Korea with 2 (10.0%); 70.0% was published between 2024 and 2026. 65.0% described or evaluated a training program, with a predominance of perceived self-efficacy (55.0%). 70.0% was situated in disaster, pandemic, or armed conflict contexts, and 80.0% reported significant improvements. The evidence supported the educational value of PFA, although its institutional implementation remained partial and the evidence base presented geographic, methodological, and long-term follow-up gaps. Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize longitudinal and multicenter designs, as well as to adapt validated instruments to diverse cultural contexts.
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