Motivation and International Clinical Placements: Shifting Nursing Students to a Global Citizenship Perspective

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Nursing programs are increasingly offering international clinical experiences as part of nursing curricula. The purpose of this study was to understand what motivates student nurses to take part in these experiences. Related to motivation, student awareness of emerging nursing discourses on global citizenship was also examined. As part of a qualitative study, nine undergraduate nursing students were interviewed about their motivations for choosing a clinical placement to a low-income country. While students appeared to have a sincere desire to make a difference, closer examination of the data revealed that the majority approached their international clinical placement in ways that could be construed as paternalistic to some degree, rather than reflective of broader professional imperatives such as social justice. This finding suggests that additional education preparation may be needed prior to these experiences; global citizenship frameworks may be helpful in shifting perspectives towards a more critical enquiry of global issues.</jats:p>

International clinical placements for Australian undergraduate nursing students: A systematic thematic synthesis of the literature

“…It was found images portrayed in the media may have contributed to the idea that Africa requires our help and is not capable of improving themselves (Afririe Asenso et al 2014). This perception, on one hand, motivated students to participate in clinical placement so they could understand why health and social inequalities occur, but on the other contributed to their belief that there was aneediness in developing countries that they felt they could help to fix (Burgess et al, 2014). While the concept of wanting to help was present in the Australian literature (Tuckett & Crompton, 2014), the influence that the media has on this desire was not investigated.…”

“…Page 24 19972000-2012Articles Charles et al, 2014Grant & McKenna, 2003;Inglis et al, 1998;Inglis et al, 2000;Michael et al, 2012;Reid-Searl et al, 2011;Rolls et al, 1997;Tuckett & Crompton, 2014Greatrex-White, 2007Greatrex-White, 2008;Green et al, 2008;Lee, 2004;Morgan, 2012;Scholes & Moore, 2000;Thompson et al, 2000Aarts et al, 2010Asenso et al, 2013;Burgess et al, 2014;Harrrowing et al, 2012;Kirkham et al, 2009;Zanchetta et al, 2013 Research Design 7 Qualitative, 1 Quantitative Highlights  Students reflect on increased cultural awareness and competence  Placements provide students with a global perspective on health care  Students reflect on the experience allowing for professional and personal growth  Students must overcome apprehension to successful complete placement  Significant gaps in the literature exist with existing focus on student perceptions…”

Reflections on Study Abroad: Insights from Registered Nurses

“…Many university pre-departure programs for SA students are limited to logistics (e.g., travel and safety) and language issues, with a heavy reliance on lecture delivery (Hockersmith & Newfields, 2016). Opportunities for students to reflect on their goals and to interact with each other are often lacking, suggesting the need to facilitate development of the knowledge and skills necessary to adjust to unique international placements and promote individualized self-reflection on SA expectations (Browne et al, 2015;Burgess et al, 2014;Hockersmith & Newfields, 2016). For clinical placements, it is particularly important for students to understand the clinical skills that will be required and the host health care, sociocultural, economic, and political contexts (Burgess et al, 2014;Gower et al, 2016).…”

Integrating Global Citizenship through Local Teaching Practices

“…Several nurse researchers recommend that diverse clinical and cultural learning experiences within students' local contexts can be valuable as global health learning experiences (Boutain, 2008;Burgess, Reimer-Kirkham, & Astle, 2014), described as "internationalization at home" by Soria and Troisi (2014, p. 261). Despite the expanded landscape of global citizenship education and research over the past decade, general practices in higher learning continue to concentrate on international placements and broader global citizenship education rather than on integrated curricular and pedagogical practices (Larsen, 2014).…”