Transferring knowledge and skills from an international collaborative nursing educational program to clinical practice: A qualitative study

The effective transfer of knowledge and skills is the primary goal of nursing education. Despite this, little is known about how knowledge and skills gained through international collaborative nursing educational programs is applied by nurses. To describe the experiences of knowledge and skills transfer among nursing graduates from an international collaborative educational program to their clinical practice and ongoing study. A qualitative design was employed for this study. In 2023, fifteen interviews were conducted with nursing graduates from a Chinese-Swedish collaborative nursing educational program at Lishui University in eastern China. Directed content analysis was utilized to analyze the interview data. Nursing graduates gained both knowledge and skills that surpassed the educational goals of the international collaborative program. Throughout the application and transfer of knowledge and skills, participants reported both positive and negative experiences. Notably, a gap persisted between basic nursing theoretical knowledge and clinical practice. Additionally, deficiencies were identified in the transfer of nursing research knowledge, indicating areas for improvement in future nursing education. The findings suggest that knowledge and skills from an international collaborative nursing educational program can be successfully transferred to clinical nursing practice and postgraduate study. However, addressing the gap between theoretical knowledge and practice, particularly in updated basic nursing knowledge and practice, is essential. Furthermore, there is a need to enhance awareness and attitudes towards nursing research among nurses, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning. •Knowledge and skills transfer varied among non-traditional nursing graduates.•An international collaborative program imparted transferable knowledge and skills.•Structured international courses boosted nursing informatics competence.•Positive attitudes and awareness fostered research among Chinese nursing students.