The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore ELL student nurse experiences when answering NCLEX style questions so that educators understand unique areas of cultural difference that have not been considered.
Background/Significance:
Evidence suggests difficulty in improving the nation’s diversified nursing workforce resulting in concerns over minority nurse representation. ELL student nurses are more likely than non-ELL student nurses to be out of sequence or released from a nursing program. It is clear from the extant literature that ELL student nurses struggle with NCLEX style questions and with passing the NCLEX. Identifiable areas of concern that have an impact on academic success include language, learning models, test taking, and cultural differences.
The literature reveals that ELL students may feel self-conscious about their accent, and are consequently less likely to engage in class participation or communicate with peers. Additionally, there are problems not only understanding course content in English but also expressing their knowledge of English. Barriers exist related to leaving home, entering a different world, and feeling isolated from culture and family.
Methods:
A Heideggerian hermeneutic approach will be used to examine transcripts of in-depth audio-recorded interviews with students who have been exposed to NCLEX questions. A hermeneutic approach is often used in situations where meaning is sought and a deeper, perhaps overlooked, understanding is missing from the extant literature.
Up to 15 ELL students from at least four different cultural backgrounds will be recruited from a Midwest college of nursing and invited to participate in hermeneutic interviews. A team of hermeneutic scholars will analyze transcripts using a Heideggerian approach to analysis and results will be rendered in the form of overlapping patterns that illuminate and interpret common experiences across participants.
Results/Summary/Discussion:
An answer to this research question is expected to involve a broader elicitation and analysis of storied accounts that show how ELL students experience successes and challenges in demonstrating their knowledge and preparing for future nursing careers. Recommendations for educators will be provided.
Limitations/Conclusions:
This study is limited geographically and will include students from only one university in the Midwest. It is expected that the type of questioning and analysis implemented will uncover processes that are common for ELL students because of the human experience to be examined.
Nursing Implications:
Understanding patterns of experience by a diverse group of ELL students may provide openings that are unique for individuals yet manifest for educators as points of intervention in the educational
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