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Methods: Nursing students at a small liberal arts college, who traveled to Kenya or Peru for a 2-week preceptorship as part of their final clinical requirements, were recruited to participate in this study.
Twenty-five students agreed to participate and gave informed consent. Students were interviewed prior to departure, 1 month after returning, and 2 years later. The interview questions explored student expectations for the trip, awareness of the culture of the country they visited, personal experiences on the trip, and whether/how they felt they had changed personally and professionally. Individual interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by content analysis.
Results: The students described the trips as “life-changing,” which was the core theme that emerged. Three subthemes were “making a difference,” “being challenged,” and “discovering self.” The changes that the participants related one month after their return were sustained 2 years later. The students felt more open-minded, could empathize with their patients, and were more culturally sensitive than other nurses they worked with. These changes contributed to their sense of professionalism on both a local and a global scale. Other positive outcomes of international travel were enhanced interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to overcome obstacles such as language barriers and cultural differences.
Conclusions: Students reported that they were “forever changed” by their international travel experiences, resulting in a more culturally competent and open-minded approach in their nursing practice. Their sense of professional commitment was enhanced. These outcomes, which have been sustainable over 2 years, reinforce the importance of providing students with opportunities for global experiences and validate the time, effort, and money spent to organize and provide these experiences in nursing programs.