Complementary knowledge sharing: Experiences of nursing students participating in an educational exchange program between Madagascar and Norway

Aim and Objectives: To describe how Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students experience an educational exchange program in Madagascar. Background: Previous studies show that nursing students participating in an educational exchange program enhanced their cultural knowledge and experienced personal growth. However, few studies have described two-way exchange programs, including experiences from both the hosts' and the guest students' perspectives. Design: This study applies a descriptive qualitative design. Methods: Data were collected in 2015 by means of five semi-structured interviews with Malagasy students and two focus group interview sessions with Norwegian students. They were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The study was conducted in Madagascar. Findings: The data analyses revealed one main theme and two sub-themes related to the Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students' experiences. Main theme: complementary knowledge sharing; sub-themes: (1) learning from each other and (2) challenges of working together. Conclusion: The findings indicate that both the Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students experienced the exchange program as valuable and essential in exchanging knowledge. They also highlighted challenges, linked mainly to language barriers and the lack of available resources. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.