Migrant and ethnic minority nurses’ experience of working in European health services: a qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the perception of culture and experience of working in European health services of a purposive sample of qualified migrant and ethnic minority nurses currently living in Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. Method: A qualitative phenomenological method was chosen. Individual interviews took place with 8 qualified migrant and ethnic minority nurses currently living in four European countries. Thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clark’s stages after qualitative data had been verbatim transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed Results: Four themes and 4 subthemes emerged from thematic analysis of the transcripts. Conclusion: Migrant and ethnic minority nurses working in the European Union experience and witness discrimination and prejudice from patients and colleagues due to cultural differences. European health services should closely monitor and address discrimination and prejudice towards migrant and ethnic minority staff and patients, and take initiatives to reduce and, eventually, eradicate them.

Experiences lived by international nurses concerning professional integration and interpersonal relationships in the workplace: qualitative research

“…The present study identified some findings that are consistent with those of Silva and Fernandes (2007), who found that 28% of the international nurses working in Portugal were discriminated against by colleagues and 25% by patients. Similarly, in a study conducted with international nurses working in different European countries, cultural discrimination in their interactions with nurses, other healthcare professionals, as well as patients and their families, was emphasized (Antón-Solanas et al. , 2022).…”

“…Few studies have examined the employment of international nurses in Turkey, and no prior study has thoroughly explored their lived experiences regarding professional integration and interpersonal relationships within the Turkish work environment. In studies conducted on the topic, either the specific experiences of international nurses working in Turkey were not extensively addressed (Antón-Solanas et al. , 2022), or the integration of these nurses into the Turkish healthcare system was not presented (Zikusooka et al.…”