The experiences of nurses who studied abroad with The Erasmus program during undergraduate education: A qualitative study

The globalization of healthcare systems and information has increased the importance of international learning and mobility programs in nursing education. This research aimed to explore and describe the lived experiences of nurses studying abroad with the Erasmus program during their undergraduate education. This is a descriptive phenomenological study. The study sample consisted of 12 nurses who studied abroad during their undergraduate education. The data were collected through semi-structured, face to face in-depth interviews. Colaizzi's seven-step method and NVivo12 software were used to evaluate the data. The study results had five main themes: (1) adaptation process, (2) sources of support, (3) differences, (4) difficulties, and (5) benefits. The nurses considered studying abroad with the Erasmus program as an important opportunity. They reported that this experience made significant positive contributions to them in the personal, professional, cultural, and social aspects. •Creating globally aware nurses should have priority in nursing education.•An international nursing education can encourage self-reflection on own health care and nursing education system.•It was an important opportunity for nursing students to experience different culture and health care system.•Studying abroad affected participant's specializations, career paths and contributed to the improvement of the profession. .•Erasmus program is a significant opportunity for personal and professional development.