J Educ Res Nurs. 2025; 22(1): 47-56 | DOI: 10.14744/jern.2025.47542

“As if I don’t belong here.” First-Year Experiences of International Nursing Students at University – A Qualitative Study

Gülsüm Zekiye Tuncer¹, Metin Tuncer^2
1Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Nursing, Izmir, Türkiye
²Department of Nursing Fundamentals, Gümüşhane University, Gümüşhane, Türkiye

Background: The rapid adaptation of international nursing students to university life enables them to actively continue their education without disruption in the following years. Identifying the challenges faced by these students, who are future nursing professionals, is essential for their adaptation and professional development.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of international nursing students regarding their first-year experiences at university.

Methods: This study employed a descriptive qualitative research design. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) was used for reporting. The sample consisted of 13 international nursing students enrolled in the Faculty of Nursing at a university. Data were collected through face-to-face, individual, in-depth interviews using semi-structured interview questions. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results: The mean age of the nursing students was 23.3 years. Among the participants, seven were women, 11 had been residing in Türkiye for approximately one year, 12 were from Iran, and one was from Iraq. Three key themes emerged in this study: Facilitators of Adaptation, Challenges, and Coping. The students identified several facilitators of adaptation, including similarities between the Turkish economy and culture and their home countries’ economies and cultures, proficiency in the Turkish language, studying at a nursing school aligned with their career goals, and receiving social support from their relatives. However, they also faced challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences, discrimination, social isolation, homesickness, and academic and clinical difficulties.

Conclusion: International nursing students may encounter language barriers, cultural differences, and education-specific challenges during their first year of nursing school. In this context, developing support mechanisms to guide these students in their academic and social lives will facilitate their ability to cope with these difficulties.

Keywords: Experience, immigrant, immigration, international student, nursing

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