Overseas nurses' experiences of working in clinical settings in England, and the experiences of their hosts: A phenomenological study

Abstract

This study examined the views of overseas nurses visiting clinical areas in England and compared their views with the opinions of the host nurses and midwives. The views of higher education managers who supported the visits was also explored. The views of theorists such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and Taylor are used to define the philosophy underpinning the methodology. The methodology used is supported by Haase and themes devised by Schaffer are applied to assess the attitudes of the facilitators. Rigorous applications of criteria to determine credibility, applicability, consistency and confirmability have been applied. Visiting professionals' views were surveyed and taped interviews were transcribed. The higher education managers were interviewed and their transcripts were analysed. The findings provide an insight into the expectations of the visitors and their experiences, and these are contrasted with the activities and adaptations made by the clinical managers. The comments of the managers of the higher education institutes are diverse and offer positive and negative insights into the rationale for supporting the visits. The conclusions offer thought for further inquiry.