Experiences after international clinical placement as nursing students in a paediatric ward

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate nurses' experiences after participating in an international clinical placement programme as nursing students while staying for one to three weeks in a paediatric ward. Background: Student mobilisation is expected to increase the quality of education. Hence, offering international clinical placement programme in low- and high-income countries is a commonly used learning activity in bachelor programmes in nursing. Many studies have mainly examined the general experiences gained from international clinical placement programme but have not specifically focussed on the setting of paediatric wards in hospitals. Nursing students are required to acquire knowledge of paediatric nursing with children as patients. Design and method: In this qualitative study, a hermeneutic, phenomenological approach was adopted. Data were collected through individual interviews with eight nurses after they participated in an international clinical placement programme as nursing students in a paediatric ward. Results: Meetings with children's destinies as patients were overwhelming, being an observer provided insights into and an overview of paediatric nursing, access to the resources required for treating children is limited, nurses had a different role and parents had an extended caring role. Conclusion: All participants gained knowledge of children as patients at a hospital and also gained knowledge of the parents' and nurses' roles and the treatment methods of various diseases that are relevant to paediatric nursing. This helped provide them with the cultural knowledge, awareness and sensitivity required, given the contrasting situation at their home country.