Being a Nursing Student in a Foreign Country: a Photovoice Study

In addition to the advantages of being a nursing student in a foreign country, students may face many challenges that affect both their personal and academic lives. The lack of social networks and support systems, combined with the stress of the educational process, can negatively impact academic success. Studying in a foreign language can be particularly challenging, especially in the early stages. Language barriers can cause difficulties in understanding both theoretical and practical aspects of nursing education, hindering interaction with peers, faculty, and health teams in clinical settings. This can slow down the learning process and lead to communication breakdowns. Adapting to a new culture can also be challenging for some students, leading to anxiety, loneliness, or depression. Additionally, studying abroad brings extra costs such as tuition fees, accommodation, transportation, and health insurance.

This research will use a qualitative research method called the photovoice technique. Students meeting the inclusion criteria will be informed about the study's purpose and method, and invited to participate. Students who agree to participate will first complete an Introductory Information Form. They will then be asked to submit three photos, taken with their smartphones, that they feel reflect their experiences of "living in a foreign country and being a nursing student" within a week. Before photo submission, participants will be provided with the photo-taking procedure and will be required to send their photos along with date and time information and brief descriptions. These photos will be stored by the responsible researcher with a code number on a personal computer, along with transcripts.

The second phase of data collection will involve scheduling interviews in a quiet and secure environment. During face-to-face interviews, open-ended questions from the Structured Individual Interview Form will be asked, and participants will be encouraged to express their feelings and thoughts about the photos they have taken. They will also be asked to choose one photo that best represents their experience of "living in a foreign country and being a nursing student," and explain why they chose it. The two assistant researchers will transcribe the participant's explanations directly during the interview for content analysis.