A Comprehensive Review of Problem-based Learning in the Iranian Nursing Education

Assessment and application of new educational approaches are essential to the enrichment of educational programs. Problem-based learning (PBL) is a novel educational approach, which is based on the principle of using problems as the starting point for the acquisition and combination of new knowledge. The present study aimed to systematically review the studies on PBL in nursing education in Iran.  In this comprehensive review, all the articles published in Persian focusing on PBL in nursing were evaluated. The articles were retrieved by searching in databases such as Iran Medex, Magiran, Google Scholar, Iran Research Institute for Information Science (Irandoc), and Scientific Information Database (SID) using various keywords, including learning, teaching, problem-solving, PBL, problem-oriented, and nursing for the articles published during April 2001-2018.  In total, 45 articles were retrieved using the mentioned keywords. After a thorough review, 31 articles were selected based on the research objectives, which were published in Persian in national journals, and their full texts were accessible. The selected articles had five main themes, including the effects of problem-solving training on the ability of nursing students in the country, perceptions of nursing students toward PBL, influential factors in PBL, comparison of education based on PBL with other educational methods, and experiences of nursing students with PBL.  According to the results, several studies have confirmed the efficacy of PBL in nursing education and the empowerment of students, urging the extensive adoption and comprehensive incorporation of this approach into nursing education. Although few studies contradicted the positive impact of this educational approach, most of the studies in this regard indicated the satisfaction of nursing students with the use of PBL in their courses.