Lived experiences of international nursing students regarding the studying challenges: a phenomenology study

Marzieh Hasanpour; Fatemeh Bakhshi; Mahboube Shali

doi:10.1515/ijnes-2024-0038

Article

Lived experiences of international nursing students regarding the studying challenges: a phenomenology study

Marzieh Hasanpour , Fatemeh Bakhshi and Mahboube Shali

Published/Copyright: December 27, 2024

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From the journal International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Volume 22 Issue 1

Abstract

Objectives

This study explores and describes the lived experiences of international nursing students regarding studying challenges.

Methods

This is a qualitative descriptive phenomenological study. Participants were undergraduate international nursing students who were purposively selected. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 students until data saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using a seven-step Colaizzi method.

Results

After analyzing the data four main themes with fourteen sub-themes were extracted. The main themes of the study were “estrangement and confusion in an unfamiliar environment,” “new self in a new situation,” “inconsistent educational structure,” and “communication as a multidimensional challenge.”

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate the need for effective interventions to transform and improve the learning environment for international nursing students. Creating a specialized curriculum and recruiting experienced professors and mentors to teach international students, to instruct nursing students in practical environments, are vital solutions. It is advisable to provide preliminary courses for international students to familiarize them with the culture and specific issues in the destination country. It is also recommended that international campuses in universities worldwide review and revise the educational curriculum to help international nursing students better manage the educational and cultural issues that they face when studying abroad and provide care for patients.

Keywords: lived experience; international students; nursing; phenomenology

Corresponding author: Mahboube Shali, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tohid Squ., Mirkhani [East Nosrat] St., 1419733171, Tehran, Iran, E-mail: mehraneshali@yahoo.com

Funding source: Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

Award Identifier / Grant number: 99-02-100-49935

Acknowledgments

The research team expresses their utmost gratitude and appreciation to all participants of this study, as well as to all students and colleagues who assisted us in conducting this research, following scientific writing standards.

Research ethics: The research was conducted with the approval of the Research Ethics Committees of the School of Nursing and Midwifery & Rehabilitation - Tehran University of Medical. The participants were informed about the study’s objectives, research methods, and processes before signing an informed consent form. The confidentiality of their information was maintained, and they were informed about the possible consequences and achievements of the study. The participants were given the right to withdraw from the study at any time without worrying about the observed principles of the research. To ensure confidentiality, their personal information was number-coded. The Ethics approval was issued by the Research Ethics Committees of the School of Nursing and Midwifery & Rehabilitation - Tehran University of Medical (TUMS) Institutional Review Board (IRB) (code of ethics: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1399.170).
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Author contributions: MSH and MH designed the project. MS and FB managed the project and collected all interviews and field notes. MSH and FB analyzed the data. MH and MSH were responsible for manuscript preparation. All authors contributed to reviewing the paper before submission. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: This research has been supported by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences & Health Services (Grant number: 99-02-100-49935).
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-04-15

Accepted: 2024-11-11

Published Online: 2024-12-27

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2024-0038

Keywords for this article

lived experience; international students; nursing; phenomenology