The use of concept maps in simulation has been found to facilitate learning of nursing students. There is a need to understand how concept mapping can be used to best facilitate student learning within simulation experiences. The goal of this scoping literature review was to find out what is known about the context, processes and outcomes of concept mapping in simulation within nursing education.

This scoping review used the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for conducting scoping reviews. The participants, concept, and context format were used to develop the search strategy, which used five electronic databases to find relevant papers for data extraction.

Fourteen studies met the eligibility criteria for this literature review. The themes identified were active learning, performance of skills, psychological safety, and using concept maps as an assessment tool.

This review demonstrates that there is clear evidence that concept mapping plays an important role in nursing students’ critical thinking and active learning and is associated with improving feelings of safety for students.