Similarities and mutual understanding: exchange experiences in Malawi for host and guest students

Background:  A Malawian nursing college and a Norwegian university college have agreed to cooperate in facilitating clinical exchanges for nursing students at their respective institutions. This study describes the experiences of students in an innovative exchange. Norwegian and Malawian nursing students shared clinical placement in pairs of two in Malawi for 8 weeks. This study shows that both host and guest students benefit from the clinical placement as it enhances development of clinical competence.
Methods:  The design of the study is phenomenological/hermeneutical. The theoretical foundation is based upon Campinha-Bacote's model for the development of cultural competence.
All participating nursing students were interviewed. Their stories provided the rationale for the three main categories that are discussed.
Findings:  Students experience both similarities and differences in practice, but similarities are regarded as the stronger impression. Learning relational skills is the primary learning outcome, but learning how to nurse patients is also an important outcome. During the exchange period all students developed cultural competence. This way of organizing shared placements for guest and host students from different countries is valuable for all students. It also met the curricular demands in both countries.