ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ JOURNEY THROUGH NURSING EDUCATION IN CANADA

Abstract

Nursing students who speak English as an additional language (EAL) face significant challenges throughout their educational programs. This problem is attributed to numerous causes from admission standards, to cultural biases, and more. There is a dearth of studies exploring the perspective of the graduated EAL nurse. This demographic offers a valuable perspective worthy of exploration. This study asks: what can be learned from the lived experiences of recently graduated EAL nurses, looking back on their Canadian undergraduate nursing education programs? Interpretive description methodology was utilized for this study, as its premise is to explore and interpret a human experience and apply findings to practice. Data collection consisted of five participant interviews and relevant public domain records. Findings centered around the impact of EAL nurses’ deep and genuine relationships with peers, patients, and instructors. Implications for practice are how these relationships can inspire and improve pedagogical practices for Canadian nursing education.