The Transition of Africa-Educated Nurses to the American Healthcare System: A Phenomenological Study
Disciplines
Nursing | Other Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
INTRODUCTION: By 2030, there will be a projected national deficit of 918,232 registered nurses (RNs) in the United States workforce. One of the ways that the United States is currently using to alleviate the shortage is immigration. In 2021, almost 2.8 million immigrants were employed as healthcare workers, with one of the largest regions of birth for immigrant nurses being Africa at 13.9%. However, it has not yet explored how these nurses manage the complexities of migration while still performing their duties as nurses after COVID-19. Because of this, our research seeks to answer the question, “How are African-educated nurses transitioning into working in American hospitals?”
METHODS: We conducted a phenomenological study by interviewing African-trained immigrant nurses currently working or have worked in an American hospital for the past five years. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using Nvivo 14 and presented in themes and subthemes.
RESULT: Six themes emerged from the analysis. The results showed that a significant portion of the participants experienced some form of racism, culture shock, and communication barriers. Participants were forced to develop a thriving mindset amid heavy performance demands in the clinical setting. Many participants found social relationships to be the most crucial and helpful coping mechanism, and they also described their transition as involving adapting over time.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results agree with prior research on African nurses’ migration, especially regarding the racism and language barriers experienced by these nurses. Moving forward, it is essential to offer social support for immigrant nurses and work to decrease the racism projected towards them. Future studies should attempt to find solutions to the problems felt by immigrant nurses, especially during the initial phase of transition, and explore the role that the hospitals and industry have in the transition of African-educated nurses.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Chinomso Nwozichi
The Transition of Africa-Educated Nurses to the American Healthcare System: A Phenomenological Study
INTRODUCTION: By 2030, there will be a projected national deficit of 918,232 registered nurses (RNs) in the United States workforce. One of the ways that the United States is currently using to alleviate the shortage is immigration. In 2021, almost 2.8 million immigrants were employed as healthcare workers, with one of the largest regions of birth for immigrant nurses being Africa at 13.9%. However, it has not yet explored how these nurses manage the complexities of migration while still performing their duties as nurses after COVID-19. Because of this, our research seeks to answer the question, “How are African-educated nurses transitioning into working in American hospitals?”
METHODS: We conducted a phenomenological study by interviewing African-trained immigrant nurses currently working or have worked in an American hospital for the past five years. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using Nvivo 14 and presented in themes and subthemes.
RESULT: Six themes emerged from the analysis. The results showed that a significant portion of the participants experienced some form of racism, culture shock, and communication barriers. Participants were forced to develop a thriving mindset amid heavy performance demands in the clinical setting. Many participants found social relationships to be the most crucial and helpful coping mechanism, and they also described their transition as involving adapting over time.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results agree with prior research on African nurses’ migration, especially regarding the racism and language barriers experienced by these nurses. Moving forward, it is essential to offer social support for immigrant nurses and work to decrease the racism projected towards them. Future studies should attempt to find solutions to the problems felt by immigrant nurses, especially during the initial phase of transition, and explore the role that the hospitals and industry have in the transition of African-educated nurses.