Systematic Review Of Impact Of Physical And Asynchronous Lectures On Information Retention In Nurses-Patients Safety: Evidence To Guide Practice

Abstract

Background: Patient safety is fundamental to healthcare, and nursing students must be trained to minimize risks and protect patients. Traditional physical lectures and asynchronous formats are widely used, yet evidence on their effectiveness in supporting knowledge retention is mixed.

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physical and asynchronous lectures on knowledge retention in nurse patient safety education.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, ProQuest, and Scopus identified peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2025. Eligible studies involved nursing students or adult learners (≥18 years) and used randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, pre-post, or interventional designs. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane ROB 2.0 for randomized trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies.

Results: Eleven studies with 851 participants were included. Both physical and asynchronous lecture methods showed positive effects on knowledge retention, competency, and self-efficacy in patient safety education. The most consistent improvements were reported in blended and interactive formats, including flipped classrooms, simulation-based training, and technology-enhanced approaches. However, the certainty of evidence was limited. None of the studies achieved an overall low risk of bias; most were rated moderate, and three critical, mainly due to confounding and outcome measurement issues.

Conclusion: Physical and asynchronous teaching methods can both enhance knowledge retention in patient safety education, but blended and interactive approaches appear most effective. Future rigorously designed randomized trials with standardized outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence base, particularly in resource-constrained educational settings