Nursing Students' Experiences of Health Care in Swaziland: Transformational Processes in Developing Cultural Understanding.

Abstract

This study examined the experiences of nursing students following a service-learning placement in Swaziland. Students worked in a hospital and implemented community health clinics. Six students were interviewed 1 month after their return from the overseas study experience. A thematic analysis was performed. Four themes emerged. The first theme was transitions-students experienced personal hardships, emotional reactions, and language difficulties that created discomfort. The second theme was perceptions-cultural dissonance was encountered between the health care and nursing cultures of Swaziland and the United States. The third theme was internalization-discomfort and cultural dissonance activated coping mechanisms within students that generated a process of change in attitudes and beliefs. The fourth theme was incorporation-personal and professional growth were demonstrated with greater awareness, compassion, resourcefulness, and comfort with diversity. The stress and cultural dissonance experienced by students led to an increase in cultural understanding and awareness.