Learning that leads to radical change in perspectives and attitude requires learners to actively embrace complexity as part of the learning process (Smith-Miller & Thompson, 2013). This is a key feature of transformative learning. Transformative learning in adult education is defined as a metacognitive reasoning process, that challenges problematic sets of assumptions and expectations, toward an inclusive, discriminating, reflective mindset that is more open to change (Mezirow, 2003). This process enables the learner to transform their perspective, question their own beliefs and assumptions leading to a richer learning experience. Transformative learners benefit from this approach to learning as it promotes critical thinking (Moore, 2005), an essential skill in nursing practice and other health professions, which is the active analysis and synthesis of information that leads to a course of action (Papathanasiou et al., 2014). Additionally, within the context of nursing education, this learning approach enables students to engage in both individual and group-based critical reflection, which enhances the learning journey. Furthermore, as students are exposed to individual and group-learning experiences, they are able to build on the collaborative skills that are fundamental to working effectively in the nursing profession.

Healthcare delivery is an ever-changing landscape, requiring nurses and other health professionals to adapt to changes in their nursing practice, to provide optimal patient care. Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory enables nurses to develop a mindset to change (Mezirow, 2003), and to become adaptable to changing circumstances as learners are being exposed to novel learning experiences. This is a component of Mezirow's, seven-phase theory of: 1) A disorientating dilemma; 2) Self-examination; 3) Critical assessment of assumptions; 4) Exploration of new roles; 5) Planning a course of action; 6) Acquiring knowledge and skills; and 7) Trying new roles (Beer, 2019). Consequently, guiding nursing students using a learning process that requires critical thinking to adapt to change will be beneficial in preparation for clinical practice. Furthermore, these skills are necessary to be change agents in managing issues encountered during clinical practice.

The provision of healthcare can be challenging, with an issue of high prevalence being the missed care related to oral health (Bagnasco et al., 2020), which is of concern as some nurses view this aspect of care as being less important (Munro & Baker, 2018). Changing the perspectives of nurses and other healthcare professionals about specific aspects of care delivery that have been missed or omitted is crucial to achieving optimal patient outcomes. To accomplish this, transformative learning at the undergraduate level could be a potential solution to address missed clinical care. Although it is not known if Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory has been effective in addressing issues related to missed care, it has been the pinnacle of achieving transformation in learners since its development in 1978 and hence the reason why it was selected for this review. Nevertheless, the extent to which Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory has been used to underpin the development of undergraduate nursing and other health professional programs, such as podiatry, medicine, counselling and occupational therapy, and the effectiveness of these in transforming learning, is not known. Hence, the aim of this scoping review is to identify, examine and summarize the available peer-reviewed literature regarding the use of Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory as a framework in undergraduate nursing and other health professional educational programs, and their effectiveness in learning transformation.