'I'll never be the same': the impact of an international elective.

BACKGROUND:: many undergraduate student nurses have the opportunity to undertake an international elective-that is, a placement in another country. The benefits of undertaking an elective include developing cultural competence, understanding different healthcare systems and experiencing a different culture.

AIM:: the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a faculty-structured international travel elective to Zambia for undergraduate UK nursing students.

METHODS:: a descriptive phenomenology approach was used to discover and explore the students' experiences of their elective.

FINDINGS:: 6 students participated in semi-structured interviews. Themes that emerged included the importance of preparing for the elective, different nursing cultures, realities and patient safety concerns.

CONCLUSION:: this study found that students involved in an international elective to Zambia overall had a positive experience but did report some challenges; the findings contribute to the body of evidence relating to international electives.