Other Titles
Developing New Skills and Making Global Connections: Teaching in a Country That Does Not Speak English as Their First Language [Title Slide]
Abstract
Background: What scares you the most about teaching? Is it not being able to connect with the students? In the United States (U.S.), students are being admitted to our nursing programs from international locations. As this world changes, we see more and more interactions with individuals from faraway places. English is no longer only spoken in a few countries. It is gaining worldwide popularity as a second language in many countries. Nursing students from overseas want to experience a nursing course taught in English. As an expert in your field, consider sharing your knowledge with students from other countries. Teaching and supporting students with a native language other than English is becoming more manageable.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the enriching experiences and formidable challenges of bilingual students whose primary language is other than English. These students were in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program who had Health Assessment, an introductory nursing course, taught in the English language.
Methods: A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology design was used. Collaborating with a global partner, data gathering was performed using interviews with two bilingual groups. One group of undergraduate students was from an urban city in New Jersey, U.S., and the second group was from an urban city in Ceará, Brazil.
Results: Twelve bilingual nursing students from the U.S. and eight bilingual nursing students from Brazil completed the course and the interview process. The resulting themes included (a) welcoming the challenge, (b) recognizing bilingual benefits, (c) overcoming language hurdles, and (d) encouraging support systems.
Conclusions: Results from this study may inspire and support other nursing faculty to collaborate with global partners, expand their instructor role, and teach abroad where English is not the dominant language. This study may also be used to assist nurse faculty in identifying key factors to support bilingual student retention and success in BSN programs in the U.S. The knowledge gained may potentially be used to develop and implement strategies to create a more productive and inclusive environment for bilingual nursing students across the globe, creating a more diversified nursing profession.
Notes
References:
Eden, A., Fleet, J. A., & Cominos, N. (2021). The learning experiences of international students in nursing and midwifery programs: A literature review. Nurse Education in Practice, 52, 103027, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103027
Gajewski, E. M. (2022). English language proficiency admission requirements of domestic English as a second language students and performance in a nursing program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 38, 104-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.12.008
Garone, A., Van de Craen, P., & Struyven, K. (2020). Multilingual nursing education: Nursing students' and teachers' interests, perceptions and expectations. Nurse Education Today, 86, 104311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104311
Metzger, M., Dowling, T., Guinn, J., & Wilson, D. T. (2020). Inclusivity in baccalaureate nursing education: A scoping study. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(1), 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.06.002
Ruiz Muniz, N. S. (2020). Nursing faculties’ perceptions of teaching students who speak English as second language (Order No. 28024860). Available from https://login.tcnj.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/nursing-faculties-perceptions-teaching-students/docview/2431967451/se-2
Sigma Membership
Upsilon Rho, Delta Nu
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Phenomenology
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning Strategies, Global Leadership, Faculty Development
Recommended Citation
Brzoza, Vicki Lynn, "Collaborating With a Global Partner: Experiences of Bilingual Students in the US and Brazil" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 52.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/52
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Collaborating With a Global Partner: Experiences of Bilingual Students in the US and Brazil
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: What scares you the most about teaching? Is it not being able to connect with the students? In the United States (U.S.), students are being admitted to our nursing programs from international locations. As this world changes, we see more and more interactions with individuals from faraway places. English is no longer only spoken in a few countries. It is gaining worldwide popularity as a second language in many countries. Nursing students from overseas want to experience a nursing course taught in English. As an expert in your field, consider sharing your knowledge with students from other countries. Teaching and supporting students with a native language other than English is becoming more manageable.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the enriching experiences and formidable challenges of bilingual students whose primary language is other than English. These students were in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program who had Health Assessment, an introductory nursing course, taught in the English language.
Methods: A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology design was used. Collaborating with a global partner, data gathering was performed using interviews with two bilingual groups. One group of undergraduate students was from an urban city in New Jersey, U.S., and the second group was from an urban city in Ceará, Brazil.
Results: Twelve bilingual nursing students from the U.S. and eight bilingual nursing students from Brazil completed the course and the interview process. The resulting themes included (a) welcoming the challenge, (b) recognizing bilingual benefits, (c) overcoming language hurdles, and (d) encouraging support systems.
Conclusions: Results from this study may inspire and support other nursing faculty to collaborate with global partners, expand their instructor role, and teach abroad where English is not the dominant language. This study may also be used to assist nurse faculty in identifying key factors to support bilingual student retention and success in BSN programs in the U.S. The knowledge gained may potentially be used to develop and implement strategies to create a more productive and inclusive environment for bilingual nursing students across the globe, creating a more diversified nursing profession.
Description
Nursing students are no longer confined by geographic location and international students are now the norm rather than the exception. This presentation describes the experiences of bilingual nursing students whose primary language is other than English. Participants in this study reside in 2 different countries, U.S. and Brazil. The results of this study may be used to assist nurse faculty in identifying key factors to support bilingual student retention and success in nursing programs.