Aims and objectives To compare the communication and practice experiences of migrant nurses in geographically distant, culturally dissimilar countries in Eastern and Western contexts. Background Considerable research has focused on the experience of acculturation of migrant nurses into geographically diverse locations. However, there remains scant comparative research which considers the ways in which migrant nurses interpret their experience through making “sense” of events encountered in their practice. Design An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using face‐to‐face interviews with 36 migrant nurses currently practising in New Zealand and 20 migrant nurses practising in the United Arab Emirates. Methods The same question schedule was used to explore influences on communication and practice in both settings. Thematic analysis and sensemaking theory guided coding and analysis of data. COREQ guidelines informed the reporting of qualitative data. Results Qualitative analysis resulted in five representative themes, three illustrating similarities across diverse cultures and two that demonstrate the differences migrant nurses require to navigate across contrasting cultural environments successfully. Conclusion Cultural value‐based differences in both locales caused both systemic and interpersonal sensemaking challenges for migrant nurses that emphasise the importance of orientation and education programmes for internationally qualified nurses. However, cultural conflicts also exist within groups. Orientation programmes should address culturally patterned responses among different groups of internationally qualified nurses. Relevance to clinical practice Findings demonstrate a need for migrant nurses to be willing to embrace ambiguity in order to acculturate into a collaborative team culture in each of the geographical locations in this study. As registered nurses (RNs) also carry their cultural imprint, orientation interventions targeting the cultural variations of nurses in less standardised orientation programmes may be more beneficial in enhancing acculturation and in turn, staff retention.

There are specific challenges for the United Arab Emirates. However, the country is well placed to learn from the experiences of colleagues elsewhere. Time and commitment is required to build the solid foundations necessary to ensure robust, sustained growth. Identifying research capacity as both a process and outcome at the outset may also assist. Further, it may be prudent to consider initiating a Gulf Coast Countries' collaborative approach to building research capacity to harness scare resources and create a larger critical mass.

It is important that nurses fully engage with the development and use of evidence-based practice so they can influence policy and improve patient care. There are significant challenges in developing nursing research and evidence-based practice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council formed a Scientific Research Subcommittee to lead the development of nursing research. Following a literature review to assess the status of nursing research in the UAE, the Subcommittee initiated a study to clarify UAE nurses’ perceptions of barriers to implementing research. The results were expected to enable comparisons with other countries and establish a baseline on which to build and prioritize initiatives to address identified barriers. A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling was used to survey 606 nurses from across the UAE. The survey included the BARRIERS questionnaire and was administered online and in paper-based formats. The top three nurse-perceived barriers that affected nurses’ use of research in the UAE (in descending order) were as follows: lack of authority to change patient care procedures, insufficient time to read research, and insufficient time on the job to implement new ideas. The highest ranked barriers to nurses conducting research in the UAE were lack of time and competing demands for time. The findings of this survey and a published literature review informed development of a strategy to address identified barriers to nurses in the UAE using and conducting research. This multifaceted strategy includes initiatives to reform policy and practice at local and national levels.

Graduates of an Abu Dhabi transnational nursing degree struggled with the mandatory national licensing examination. Poor pass rates undermine graduate career futures and impact on the workforce capacity building contributions of the partnering transnational educational providers. This paper describes how the design and delivery of an intensive examination preparation program dramatically reversed this trend. The objectives of this educational initiative involved the design, delivery and evaluation of a program that would align with cultural learning preferences and which improve the success rates of graduates attempting the national nurse licensing examination. To achieve these objectives, the program combined a range of teaching and assessment strategies developed to reflect the specific needs of Arabic learners, build on their existing knowledge and help them engage more effectively in the learning processes required for successful performance in a high stakes examination. Analysis of data collected during program evaluation provides useful insights into the preference and experiences of nursing graduates in the UAE Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The lessons learned are applicable to Arabic learners both regionally and globally.

Aims and objectives:This study investigated the challenges of cross-cultural communication among internationally qualified nurses, and the impact on nurse-to-nurse and nurse-to-patient relationships.Background: Open and authentic communication between nurses and patients is required as a foundation of patient-centred practice; however, this may be a challenge in cross-cultural settings.Design: An exploratory qualitative study with an inductive approach.Methods: Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews explored the influences on communication and practice of 21 internationally qualified nurses practising in the United Arab Emirates. Manual and software-driven processes guided coding and analysis of data. Caring theory guided the analysis of themes; while COREQ criteria guided research conduct and reporting. Results: Four key themes emerged; (a) Challenges in communication, (b) The science versus art of nursing; (c) The impact of ineffective communication and (d) Strategiesfor coping. Eleven sub-themes are reported within these themes. Overall, nurses felt they had sufficient language and nursing skills to undertake the technical or scientific aspects of their work; however, they reported experiencing restricted ability to participate in complex cross-cultural conversations, such as providing explanations and reassurance about treatment options or discussing end of life and treatment decisions. This limitation diminished the nurses' ability to engage in the art of nursing and left them unable to employ themselves therapeutically to attain a sense of true presence with patients and their families. Conclusion:This article highlights the need for language and communication support, and Arabic-speaking advocates as partners in care for expatriate nurses.Relevance to practice: Internationally qualified nurses in this Middle Eastern setting lack cultural orientation and language skills to fully enact the art and true presence of nursing. Findings indicate that health service employers need to increase the employment of Arabic-speaking nurses and provide additional language for other expatriate nurses.| 147and other, and new life possibilities (Watson, 1985). Subsequently, Finfgeld-Connett (2008) concluded that there is a qualitative convergence of caring, true presence and the art of nursing; she argued that caring and presence-interpersonal processes that are characterised by sensitivity, holism, intimacy, vulnerability and adaptation to unique circumstances-underpin the art of nursing.Characteristics common to both the New Zealand and UAE studies include holism, attention to more than the physical, openness, intimacy, empathy and relationship-centredness; these qualities promote beneficent practice and result in increased physical and mental well-being among patients and increased joy and work satisfaction for nurses. Factors contributing to personal maturity, such as the ability to understand suffering, others' morals and values and the importance of dignity, have been shown to contribute to the art of nursing. Enviro...