Abstract

Background: International students comprise some if not the majority of undergraduate nursing cohorts in countries such as Australia, The United States of America and the United Kingdom. As nursing is a socially constructed enterprise students who have not been born into that culture require assistance adjusting to nursing professional expectations, especially during their clinical practicum. Although the literature is replete with analysis of the effects of the clinical environment on learning, and concerns about the quality of learning whilst on placement, what remains to be understood is how students, particularly international students, go about learning to be a nurse as active participants on their own professional journey.
Objective: The purpose of this paper is to reveal the complex process undertaken by international students on clinical placement in Sydney, Australia learning to be a registered nurse.
Method: A qualitative research design using the method of interpretive description was conducted using a purposive sample of student visa holders enrolled in an undergraduate nursing course in Sydney Australia.
Findings: The findings revealed the complexity of the nature of learning that often remains hidden to clinical educators. This paper will highlight the learning journey of international nursing students through actions such as watching and waiting, and seeking and finding which reinforces the applicability and importance of social learning theory in the clinical environment.