The experiences of foreign‐educated nurses in Japan: a systematic review

Abstract

Aim: To conduct a systematic review to understand the experiences of foreign-educated nurses in Japan. Background: The experiences of foreign nurses in host countries, and the challenges they face, have been widely investigated around the world. However, no systematic review has focused on the experience of foreign-educated nurses in Japan. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Guidelines. Japan Medical Abstract Society, Citation Information by National Institute of Informatics, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PubMed databases were used for the literature search. Inclusion criteria were research articles published between 2013 and 2020 written in Japanese or English. A quality assessment was performed using Version 2018 of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Selected articles were read repeatedly, and relevant contents were extracted and summarized thematically. Results: Twenty-five studies were selected for the review. The themes generated included (1) reasons for nurses to come to Japan, (2) experiences and current situations among the Economic Partnership Agreement nurses/nurse candidates living in Japan, and (3) experiences and current situation of nurses who had returned to their home countries. The second theme was classified into four categories: language and communication barriers, low pass rates for the national qualification exam, adaptation to workplaces and social environments, and psychological distress. Conclusion: Foreign nurses in Japan face various challenges and difficulties, even after they return to their home countries. Solving these problems may improve the wellbeing of foreign-educated nurses in Japan. Implications for Nursing Policy: The results from the current review highlight the necessity for immediate intervention by policymakers to improve the current support system for Economic Partnership Agreement nurses/nurse candidates. A thorough prearrival orientation should be provided for the nurse candidates to able them to make a well-informed choice.

Integration strategies and models to support transition and adaptation of culturally and linguistically diverse nursing staff into healthcare environments: An umbrella review

“…These interactions were found to influence integration and care outcomes. Where there was support from nurses with a similar background (Ghazal et al, 2020;Kawi & Xu, 2009), collegial social interactions and peer support (Lin et al, 2018;Chun Tie et al, 2018;Moyce et al, 2016) culturally and linguistically diverse nurses experienced that this promoted their positive work experience and helped alleviate negative cultural experiences (Abuliezi et al, 2021).…”

“…Cultural training, learning and support involved cultural enhancement programs, training and education, and improved cultural competency (Schilgen et al, 2017;Ghazal et al, 2020;Ng Chok et al, 2018b). Sociocultural training (Abuliezi et al, 2021) and multicultural and diversity training (Hyvärinen et al, 2017;Nichols & Campbell, 2010) allowed appreciation of diversity, creation of a conducive work environment, equality, and collegiality.…”

“…Licensure and orientation to work for culturally and J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f Journal Pre-proof linguistically diverse nurses, focused on gaining rights of practice which was supported through organizational support for licensure, certification, and competence recognition (Kawi & Xu, 2009;Covell et al, 2016). Culturally and linguistically diverse nurses were provided with important certification and licensure information (Abuliezi et al, 2021;Ho & Chiang, 2015;Covell et al, 2014) beyond the provision of information, nurses were also allowed extra time for certification and licensure exams (Abuliezi et al, 2021). At the workplace, culturally and linguistically diverse nurses' efficient orientation to work occurred through personalized transition and orientation (Chun Tie et al, 2018), continuous individualized orientation (Pung & Goh, 2017), tailored orientation (Javanmard et al, 2017), practice transition and adaptation (Konno, 2006;Davda et al, 2018;Primeau et al, 2014), and support for professional integration (Covell et al, 2016).…”

Assessment of workplace integration of migrant nurses and midwives within international health care settings: a scoping review protocol

“…9 Several reviews explored the experience of migrant nurses in Japan and New Zealand. 10,11 The only scoping review to examine the workplace integration of MNMs was centered in the Canadian health care setting and focused primarily on the barriers and enablers of professional recertification. This is a prerequisite to working in a health care system but is not part of MNM workplace integration.…”

“…A further review focused on the migration and acculturation experience of migrant nurses 9 . Several reviews explored the experience of migrant nurses in Japan and New Zealand 10,11 . The only scoping review to examine the workplace integration of MNMs was centered in the Canadian health care setting and focused primarily on the barriers and enablers of professional recertification.…”