Discrimination among migrant nurses in their daily work routine
Lina Heier
Bielefeld University, Germany
: J Nurs Patient Care
Abstract
Background: Several studies have examined the challenges that migrant nurses face as they seek licensure and access to international work. In the German nursing field, discrimination among migrant nurses in the workplace has not been studied; a problem that leads to a reduction in the quality of nursing care and nurse turnover. Aim: To document experiences of migrant nurses in the acute setting in Germany about social and institutional discrimination, challenges in the workplace and strategies to cope with those experiences. Design: This study employed a qualitative, explorative approach. Method: The present study is conducted by using a qualitative content analysis. The data collection process included seven semi-structured and in depth interviews with migrant nurses between April and June 2017 in different German hospitals. A purposive sampling method was used. All interviews were recorded, typed and analyzed simultaneously. Findings: In total, four main categories were identified. The first category deals with the migrant nurses daily work routine and their feelings about it. The second category focuses on the daily challenges which migrant nurses face in their daily work routine. The third category describes the different experiences regarding the social and institutional discrimination in the workplace. The fourth category outlines the different strategies to cope with those circumstances. Although migrant nurses experienced more social discrimination from their patients, their nurse colleagues and/or other hospital personnel, institutional discrimination was still described. Conclusion: The prevalence of nurse's experiences of discrimination suggests that hospitals need to strengthen policies to effectively address this harmful practice.
Biography
E-mail: lina.heier@gmx.de
