Bridget Taylor
This paper presents the outcomes of an exploratory qualitative study that examined the views and experiences of nurses who have trained overseas and travelled to work in the NHS. A constructivist methodology was employed within an interpretivist approach in which data were obtained through participant observation, focus group discussions and informal individual interviews. Eleven overseas nurses, representing six different countries of origin, agreed to participate. Analysis was based on coding, identifying patterns, generalising and formulating concepts. Six themes were identified: communication, differences in the nurse’s role, the de-skilling of overseas nurses, status of overseas nurses, racial discrimination and pastoral support. Findings showed that the nurses recruited from overseas experienced loss of status and became de-skilled. For some, this loss of status was compounded by experiences of discrimination. Recommendations centre on creating a climate of inclusion within nursing teams, and allowing overseas nurses to include the ‘Scope of professional practice’ course as part of their adaptation programme. There is a need for further research to identify factors that mark overseas nurses as different, and identification of the point at which theirUKcolleagues cease to see them in this light.
