EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AMONG NURSING STUDENTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Background: The educational environment shapes nursing students' satisfaction, engagement and academic performance, yet little is known about how it differs between public and private nursing institutions in Pakistan.

Objective: To review how students in health professions perceive their educational environment, as measured by the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), and to identify gaps that justify a comparative study of public and private nursing institutions in Karachi.

Methods: A narrative review following PRISMA 2020 reporting principles searched Science Direct, CINAHL and Research4Life for studies using the DREEM among nursing and other health-professions students. 25 studies were included and synthesised thematically.

Findings: Overall mean DREEM scores ranged from about 90 to 145 out of 200, with most studies falling in the "more positive than negative" band (101–150). Social self-perception was repeatedly the weakest domain, while perception of teachers and teaching was low in several Pakistani studies. Junior students and female students often reported more positive perceptions, and higher DREEM scores were associated with better academic performance. The single sector comparison identified, among Punjab medical colleges, found no difference between public and private institutions, although both environments were less than ideal.

Conclusion: Nursing students generally perceive their environment favorably, but social and teaching-related gaps persist. No study was identified that directly compares public and private nursing institutions, which is the key gap for future research and for evidence-based institutional reform.