Chen Lingxi, Xu Chao, Zhou Yunxian
School of Nursing, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Feb 15;25(1):245. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-06860-1.
Clinical internships are crucial in nursing education; however, they often present challenges that can elicit negative emotions among students, especially among international nursing undergraduates. Despite its importance, there is a lack of research on the experiences of African nursing undergraduates during clinical internships in China.
To explore the clinical internship experiences of African undergraduate nursing students within the Chinese healthcare system.
A descriptive qualitative study design was adopted. Thirteen African undergraduate nursing students with over three months of clinical internship experience in China were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data on their experiences. Conventional content analysis was used for data analysis.
Five categories and twelve subcategories were identified through the analysis: multiple challenges (language is an issue, identity embarrassment, peer pressure); accepting challenges (having to accept, being able to accept); making personal efforts (self-image managing, self-reflecting and improving); being not alone (preceptors are strong backings, mutual assistance among fellow students, patients provide trust and warmth); and growing up as a real nurse (increasing nursing knowledge and skills, enhancing nursing professional quality).
The findings offer nursing colleges and hospitals a deeper understanding of the specific challenges encountered by African undergraduate nursing students during their clinical internships in China. This study also highlights the students' handling of complex issues and the subsequent positive changes they experienced.
临床实习在护理教育中至关重要；然而，它们常常带来挑战，可能引发学生尤其是国际护理本科生的负面情绪。尽管其重要性，但缺乏关于非洲护理本科生在中国临床实习经历的研究。
探讨非洲本科护理学生在中国医疗体系中的临床实习经历。
采用描述性定性研究设计。通过目的抽样招募了13名在中国有超过三个月临床实习经验的非洲本科护理学生。进行半结构化访谈以收集他们经历的数据。采用常规内容分析法进行数据分析。
通过分析确定了五个类别和十二个子类别：多重挑战（语言是个问题、身份尴尬、同伴压力）；接受挑战（不得不接受、能够接受）；个人努力（自我形象管理、自我反思与提升）；并非独自面对（带教老师是强大后盾、同学间相互帮助、患者给予信任和温暖）；成长为一名真正的护士（增加护理知识和技能、提升护理专业素质）。
研究结果使护理院校和医院更深入地了解非洲本科护理学生在中国临床实习期间遇到的具体挑战。本研究还突出了学生对复杂问题的处理以及他们随后经历的积极变化。
