Charactersistics of intercultural mentoring – a mentor perspective

Abstract

This article reports a study of Finnish preceptors’ and British undergraduate nursing students’ mentor–student relationship during international placement in Finland from the mentors’ perspective. The study aimed to explore the characteristics of intercultural mentorship and the strategies used by the mentors to improve the students’ intercultural competence. Altogether 23 mentors and five students participated in this study. The data consisted of mentoring session observations, group interviews and research diary notes. Intercultural mentorship was characterised by concern about the students’ adjustment, pervasiveness of the relationship, sense of mutual learning, inadequate school–placement co-operation and concern about learning outcomes. The mentors used a variety of strategies to improve the students’ intercultural competence. Mentorship was both a rewarding and a frustrating experience.