Influential factors on learning through the hidden curriculum in the perspective of undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students

Introduction: Nursingcurriculum is not always overt; it can also exist covertlyin the form of a hidden curriculum. This study aims to explain the factorsinfluencing learning through the hidden curriculum in the perspective ofundergraduate baccalaureate nursing students.Method: This qualitative study was conducted through purposeful samplingstrategy on 24 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students studying in the first to the fourth years of their education. The data were collected using semistructured interviews and this process continued until data saturation and categories’ emergence. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis.Results: Professional promotion as a learning factor, impact of personalcharacteristics on learning, educator’s behavior as a learning stimulus, andfeedback as a learning stimulus are the main categories emerged in this study; some of them included sub-categories as well.Conclusion: Professional promotion, personal characteristics, educator’sbehavior and feedback were the main influencing factors on learning through the hidden curriculum in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. The findings of this study can be used for developing strategies to promote nursing education and as a result patient care. Further studies are recommended to identify other factors.Keywords: Hidden curriculum, Influential factors, Nursing education, Nursing Students