Caroline Browne

International clinical placements (ICP) in undergraduate nursing programs are often offered to facilitate the integration of nursing students’ knowledge and clinical skills in complex and culturally diverse healthcare settings. This study aimed to better understand how key stakeholders’ value and attribute meaning to successful short-term placements undertaken in the Asia region within Australian Bachelor of Nursing programs.

A mixed-methods case study design was used to provide a holistic view of ICPs and incorporated four phases of data collection and analysis. Phase one consisted of a qualitative systematic review, and was completed in late 2014; Phase two was an online mapping survey of higher education providers in Australia (n=18) to collect descriptive data of current ICP practices (conducted August to September 2015); Phase three and four were conducted concurrently and included semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (university, student, program administrators and local community) (n=19) and a reflective photo journal by the researcher. Six themes spanning the continuum of the ICP experience emerged from interpretive analysis of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in Phase 3. They included: ‘Developing successful placements’, ‘Preparing for the unknown’, ‘Putting the focus on learning’, ‘Recognising difference’, and ‘Building relationships’ to ‘Growing from the experience’.

Alongside the findings from the other data collection phases, these themes informed the development of a framework to assist education providers to prepare for and critically evaluate placements. The International Clinical Placement Planning and Evaluation (ICliPPE) framework reflects the multifaceted nature of international clinical placements, through a focus on factors that enhance clinical learning within three pillars that contribute to a successful placement experience: ‘Maximising learning’, ‘Exploring difference’ and ‘Motivations and Intentions’. The ICliPPE framework, whilst created within the Australian nursing context provides an identifiable structure that can potentially have applicability for all higher education providers wishing to maximise learning opportunities and develop sustainable international clinical placements.