A meta-synthesis of studies on ubuntu philosophy in nursing: Implications for nursing education

Background: Ubuntu, an ancient African philosophy, embodies the essence of humanness through communal responsibility and interconnectedness. It shapes moral values and culture that can be implemented in nursing to improve patient care. However, colonial and Western-centric education systems have marginalised ubuntu philosophy resulting in a disconnect from its core principles in contemporary nursing practices. Objectives: This meta-synthesis aims to synthesise qualitative literature on ubuntu philosophy in nursing to identify key aspects of the philosophy that can be integrated into nursing education. Method: A systematic search using keywords related to ubuntu in nursing and nursing education was conducted across multiple databases, including health sources: Nursing/ Academic Edition, Medline, ProQuest, PubMed, CINAHL and Google Scholar. This search aimed to identify qualitative studies exploring the application of ubuntu philosophy within nursing and its implications for nursing education. Quality appraisals were conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative research. Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnography techniques were employed to synthesise studies. Results: A total of 16 studies were included. The meta-synthesis revealed one meta-theme, namely the integration of ubuntu principles into nursing education with three subthemes: pedagogical approaches, decolonising nursing education and role modelling ubuntu. Conclusion: Ubuntu should be integrated into formal nursing education programmes to align with patients’ expectations and enhance nursing care quality and student needs for targeted support on the subject. Contribution: The study enriches the ongoing discourse on integrating indigenous philosophies such as ubuntu into nursing education, aligning nursing care with local cultural and ethical values to promote more humane practices.