Background
Post-exam reviews allow students to analyze their exams and receive faculty feedback on their performance. Feedback may help avoid attrition in nursing programs, which is important to address in the face of national nursing shortages and because attrition disproportionally affects students from several underrepresented groups.
Purpose
The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize evidence about outcomes of post-exam reviews for nursing and health science students based on Knowles' (1978) theory of adult learning.
Methods
An integrative review of the literature as described by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was undertaken. Multiple databases were searched in June 2024; ancestry searching was also used. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method.
Results
Nine studies met inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged from the data: looking back, looking in, looking forward, and general satisfaction. Most outcomes were positive (such as increased grades), although some potentially negative outcomes (such as incivility) were identified.
Conclusions
Nursing faculty should seriously consider implementing post-exam reviews in their courses, structuring the reviews to avoid potentially negative outcomes such as incivility.