Transition to Professional Practice in the United States: Exploring the Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses

Background Many countries facing workforce shortages rely on internationally educated nurses (IENs) to supplement the nursing workforce. The goal of this study is to investigate the experiences of IENs during the peak of their acculturation to their new environment. Method A descriptive qualitative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of continuing education in nursing Vol. 55; no. 12; pp. 568 - 574
Main Authors: Porter, Marlene T., Williams, Kate, Gembol, Leslie
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Thorofare, NJ SLACK Incorporated 01.12.2024
Slack, Inc
SLACK INCORPORATED
Subjects:
Acculturation
Analysis
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Cultural Differences
Culture Conflict
Culture shock
Data analysis
Data collection
Employment
Evidence Based Practice
Evidence-based nursing
Focus groups
Labor Force
Licensing examinations
Music Facilities
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing education
Nursing skills
Overseas Employment
Pandemics
Participation
Practice nursing
Professional practice
Researchers
Self Efficacy
Skill Analysis
Social aspects
Work environment
Workforce
United States > US
ISSN:0022-0124, 1938-2472, 1938-2472
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background Many countries facing workforce shortages rely on internationally educated nurses (IENs) to supplement the nursing workforce. The goal of this study is to investigate the experiences of IENs during the peak of their acculturation to their new environment. Method A descriptive qualitative approach was used with focus groups conducted 6 to 9 months after the IENs' start date. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants at a large academic hospital. Focus groups were conducted in person, audiorecorded, and transcribed. Data were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. Results Twenty-seven subjects participated in the focus groups. Three key themes were identified to describe the experiences: (a) navigating the challenging journey, (b) unlearning-relearning nursing practice, and (c) adapting to the work environment. Conclusion This study was the first to examine IENs' experiences 6 to 9 months after arriving in the United States. Study findings show the importance of developing transition programs to support this population of nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(12):568–574.]
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ISSN:0022-0124
1938-2472
1938-2472
DOI:10.3928/00220124-20241107-01