Student-related impacts on health professional educator wellbeing: A scoping review of influences and recommendations

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: There are growing institutional and regulatory imperatives to provide increasing support to higher education students, particularly those at risk of failure to succeed. These demands can be especially challenging for Health Professional Educators (HPEs), who are tasked with delivering meaningful and supportive learning experiences, while also ensuring graduates meet minimum competency thresholds for safe professional practice-a complex dynamic that can negatively impact educator wellbeing. Despite strong evidence linking student success to educator wellbeing, limited systematic attention has been given to the wellbeing needs of HPEs. This scoping review aimed to identify student-related impacts on HPE wellbeing and highlight recommendations to support educators as they seek to meet their obligations to students, institutions, and the profession. METHOD: Following best-practice scoping review methodology, six electronic databases were searched in April 2025, alongside supplementary strategies. Screening against inclusion criteria resulted in data extraction from 41 articles using a purpose-designed charting tool. RESULTS: The identified literature spanned a range of professions, with nursing the most represented. Studies revealed highly deleterious physical and emotional consequences for educators exposed to negative student interactions-a theme that was replicated across disciplines and termed 'student incivility' within the nursing literature. Few studies explored the positive effects on HPEs working closely with students at the coalface of health professional education. Although comprehensive support strategies were scarcely recommended, findings emphasized the importance of multilevel, whole-of-university approaches, with strong administrative and faculty support seemingly critical for safeguarding HPE wellbeing. DISCUSSION: These findings provide invaluable interdisciplinary insights for researchers and higher education providers that yield the potential to inform both research and strategy to protect the wellbeing and workforce sustainability of those educators tasked with the preparation of future health professionals.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Medical Teacher, 2026 · DOI ↗