Being an ethnic minority nursing student - A meta synthesis

Our society is characterized by a general globalization and has become more culturally diverse. This diversity is mirrored in nursing education.

The purpose of the meta-synthesis is to identify and synthesize data from primary, qualitative studies of ethnic minority nursing students' experiences in a nursing program.

Electronic databases, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL, were searched for studies published in English or Nordic languages from 1980 to February 2020.

The search generated 1070 unique citations, of which 19 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included studies had a total sample size of 255 students, age range 19-50 years. The participants originated from Asia (65), Africa (53), South America (45), and Eastern Europe (17). Seventy-five students' origins were unknown. The meta-synthesis revealed that participants' experiences were characterized by four main themes: to understand and be understood; the importance of supportive relations; motivated but emotionally distressed; and conflicting cultural expectations.

Ethnic minority nursing students experienced challenges related to language, socialization, cultural awareness, and relations with educators and other students. To meet the students' needs and increase their graduation rates, educational institutions and supervisors should work to promote and facilitate their integration and provide a good learning environment.