Being the stranger: Comparing study abroad experiences of nursing students in low and high income countries through hermeneutical phenomenology

•Began to develop a sense of themselves as ‘other’ in relation to being American•Cultural consciousness changes regardless of where students travelled.•Curricula need to be revised to create ‘change from the familiar’ experiences.

AimTo understand the experience of American nursing students who complete a study abroad trip to a low-income country, Bangladesh, versus a high-income country, the Netherlands in the development of cultural consciousness.MethodsHermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology was used to explore the journals of 44 students' experiences and reflections.ResultsThe comprehensive understanding of the naïve and structural analysis revealed that, no matter where these students travelled, they increased their cultural consciousness.ConclusionsWe need to revise curricula to create ‘change from the familiar’ experiences for all students (many cannot afford study abroad) to move students to cultural consciousness on their journey to cultural competency that may improve client health outcomes.