Nursing in a Globalized World: Nursing Students with International Study Experience Report Higher Competence at Graduation

Jan Nilsson^1,2*, Marianne Carlsson^3,4, Eva Johansson⁵, Ann-Charlotte Egmar^6,7, Jan Florin⁸, Janeth Leksell⁸, Christina Lindholm⁹, Gun Nordström^1,10, Kersti Theander^1,11, Bodil Wilde- Larsson^1,10, Margret Lepp^12,13, Ann Gardulf^2,14

¹Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
²The Japanese Red Cross Institute for Humanitarian Studies, Tokyo, Japan.
³Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴Gävle University, Gävle, Sweden.
⁵Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
⁶The Red Cross University College, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁷Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁸School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
⁹Sophiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁰Department of Nursing, Hedmark University College, Hedmark, Norway.
¹¹Primary Care Research Unit, County Council of Värmland, Sweden.
¹²Institute of Health and Care Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹³Østfold University College, Halden, Norway.
¹⁴Unit for Clinical Nursing Research, Immunotherapy and Immunology, Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

DOI: 10.4236/ojn.2014.412090                

Abstract

Due to globalization, there is a need for nurses with skills and competence in providing safe, competent and culturally appropriate care. The aim of the study was to investigate whether International Study Experiences (ISE) in other countries during basic nursing education had an impact on newly graduated nurses as regards to self-reported competence. Moreover, a second aim was to explore what background factors that facilitated or constituted a hindrance for nursing students to choose to conduct part of their basic nursing education abroad. At 11 Universities/University Colleges (henceforth called Higher Education Institutions [HEIs]) in Sweden, 565 nursing students responded to the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale. Students with ISE rated their competence significantly higher on three NPC competence areas—“Legislation in nursing and safety planning”, “Leadership and development of nursing” and “Education and supervision of staff/students”. Background factors that significantly seemed to enhance ISE were living alone, not having children or other commitments in relation to family, international focus at the HEI and previous international experience. Lack of financial means was reported to prevent students from choosing ISE. The study implies that several background factors are of importance whether students choose ISE or not. ISE during basic nursing education might result in better self-reported competence in leading and developing nursing care, including education of future nurses, and in providing safe care.

Keywords

Internationalization, International Study Experience, Nursing Education, Self-Reported Competence

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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