# Nursing students' motivation for, and experiences from, participating in a blended intensive programme on mass casualty incidents: a qualitative study

## TL;DR

Nursing students found a short international program on mass casualty incidents beneficial for both learning and personal growth despite challenges like language barriers.

## Contribution

This study explores the motivations and experiences of nursing students in a short-term international blended program focused on mass casualty incidents.

## Key findings

- Students were motivated by academic interest and international encounters.
- The program improved emergency preparedness and intercultural communication.
- Language barriers and professional differences were challenges but led to personal growth.

## Abstract

Student mobility programmes aim to enhance academic competence and personal growth. However, non-academic reasons are decisive for students’ decisions not to participate in exchange programmes abroad. Short exchange programmes are becoming increasingly popular among both institutions and students, addressing some of the non-academic reasons to not participate in exchange programmes. The aim of the study was to gain insight into nursing students’ motivation for, and experiences from, participating in a short-term exchange programme focused on mass casualty incidents.

A qualitative study was conducted using focus group interviews with 30 nursing students from Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. The data were analysed using content analysis.

Three main categories were identified. These were “motivation”, “learning experiences” and “barriers and coping”. The two main motivational factors identified were the academic subject of mass casualty and the opportunity to experience international encounters. The learning experiences encompassed perspectives on nursing, cooperation and teamwork along with measurable academic outcomes related to the learning outcomes of the blended intensive programme. The participants expressed language and communication challenges and professional discrepancies as barriers in the learning process. Nevertheless, they also reported a feeling of coping and achievement after completing the programme and provided insights into various aspects of the learning climate during the blended intensive programme.

Driven by students’ academic interest and motivation for international encountering, the BIP demonstrated educational and personal benefits, emphasizing the potential value of short-term international programmes in nursing education. The programme fostered important competencies such as emergency preparedness, intercultural communication and interprofessional collaboration. Coping with language barriers and professional discrepancies contributed to personal and professional growth.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07425-y.