Phenomenological inquiry on nursing science international students’ experiences in a non-native English pre-clinical learning environment

Abstract

Pre-clinical learning in nursing science introduces unique terminologies, abstractions, and activities needed in foundational knowledge. The language, culture, and pedagogical differences within the non-native English-medium instruction result in more complex situations for international students. The study aimed to reveal the lived experiences of international nursing students in a non-native English pre-clinical learning environment. Utilizing phenomenological design, interviews gathered data from purposively sampled participants, from four different Asian countries enrolled in an international program. Thematic analysis was done to reveal their experiences. Four major themes emerged from the participants' narratives. Their lived experiences began with idealized expectations defined by family influence, guided opportunity, and inspiration. It evolved into a communicative struggle with the divergence of reality from their expectations. Their shaken idealizations and disrupted learning process due to language barriers had an emotional toll. The satisfactory laboratory experiences with unmet expectations brought out ambivalence in them. Communing with others, adaptive response and introspection helped them towards reality reorientation and recalibration, the last two themes to emerge. Different aspects with varying impact within the learning environment defined the experiences of the nursing science international students. These students process and develop their own adaptive responses within their evolving experiences in the non-native English pre-clinical learning environment. Policy development, continuing English language support, student development and support programs for nursing science international program students in the context of pre-clinical training are needed.