Although the current study was undertaken in Sweden,
the findings resonate with the international literature
relating to communication in cross-cultural care encounters.
The implications arising from this study, therefore,
extend beyond the country in which the research was
undertaken. Student nurses face many challenges when
communicating in cross-cultural care encounters, especially
when they do not share the same language with
the patient. Although they use a range of strategies to
facilitate communication they find themselves in
situations where they are unable to communicate effectively
and this leads to dissatisfaction with the caring
experience. They also lack skills and confidence in crosscultural
communication. Even in situations where
students felt satisfied that they were able to communicate,
it does not mean that the patient was satisfied with the
interaction. In the light of these findings, is important that
nursing programmes enable student nurses to become
competent in communicating in cross-cultural care
encounters and that the clinical learning environment
provides them with the opportunity to put their learning
into practice.