A scoping review protocol to identify models for teaching and evaluating Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LICBT) skills-based training in undergraduate mental health nurse education

Introduction
As a continuously and rapidly developing field of practice, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been extensively researched, resulting in a wealth of evidence for its efficacy as a psychotherapeutic intervention (NICE, 2009; Mental Health Commission, (MHC), 2019; HSE, 2020). Mental health nurses are well placed to deliver CBT due to their specialist skills and intensive contact with those who require intervention (Cusack and Kiloury (2012) HSE, 2015). Despite CBT’s emergence as gold standard treatment, there is an absence of an evidence on how to develop CBT skills in undergraduate mental health nurses (UGMHN). This scoping review synthesizes the existing literature specific to models for teaching and evaluating ‘low intensity’ CBT skills within UGMHN education.

Methods & analysis
This scoping review was guided by the framework presented by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The search was performed using the electronic databases, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) to retrieve peer reviewed journal articles. Handsearching involved checking reference lists of identified literature to seek additional publications and relevant grey literature. The research team have applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) methodological framework (Tricco et al, 2018) for selection, quality appraisal and synthesis.

Outcomes
The scoping review synthesized the evidence on existing approaches to teaching and evaluating CBT skills across the UGMHN education continuum. It has formally identified the nature and types of approaches reported and informed development of a generic set of measurable skills-based competency indicators, as part of a co-designed educational programme for teaching and evaluating LICBT skills. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and relevant conferences as well as being shared with educational establishments training nurses across the island of Ireland.