A qualitative examination of othering processes within international nursing placements

International placements represent a popular choice to develop cultural competency and safety in nursing. The question as to whether study abroad programs enable the development of cultural competency and safety skills or provide exotic travel experiences needs further clarifications.

The study explores the usefulness of international placements in developing cultural safety among undergraduate nursing students.

An exploratory qualitative design was used to answer these research questions: 1) How do undergraduate students make sense of their study abroad experiences? And 2) How international placements facilitate the acquisition of cultural safety and consciousness-raising about racial and social privileges?

A sample of 7 participants who completed a 4th-year community and acute care stages in Global South countries were recruited.

A postcolonial feminist theoretical approach was used to guide the study.

Semi-structured interviews explored participants' perceptions of cultural differences, ways of adapting to cultural diversity, and the benefits and challenges of their global experiences. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Thematic analysis revealed three themes: 1) Self-knowledge, 2) othering, and 3) consciousness of neocolonialism.

Results raise some concerns about the usefulness of international stages in developing cultural competency and cultural safety in undergraduate nursing students. Results indicate that international placements can be useful to raise consciousness about racial and social privileges. Yet, international placements involve some risks to the receiving Global South countries. This study unmasks Othering's processes, where participants reproduce harmful neocolonial relations.

International placements involve cultural risks that translate into Othering processes where Global South nurses and students are represented as powerless. Postcolonial feminist theories are relevant to study international placements as they enable the critical examination of race, gender, and social class and how they play out in international placements in Global South countries.