The experiences of internationally qualified nurses working in a publicly-funded tertiary hospital in New Zealand: A qualitative descriptive study

In most developed countries, the need for Registered Nurses has seen a dramatic increase. Thus, these countries turn overseas to attract migrant nurses into their workforce, especially for tertiary hospitals that are consistently understaffed. Although numerous studies have explored the experiences of such nurses in developed nations, there has been limited research done in the New Zealand context, especially in the acute public hospital setting. The aim of this research is to explore and describe the experiences of Internationally Qualified Nurses (IQNs) working in a publicly-funded tertiary hospital in New Zealand. The qualitative descriptive method was used to illuminate the IQNs’ experiences working in a New Zealand public hospital. A purposive sampling using maximum variation and snowball sampling methods was utilised to recruit IQNs employed in the tertiary hospital. From 12 one-on-one, semi- structured face-to-face interviews, which were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s method of thematic analysis, the following three themes, Hospital navigation, The ambivalent nurse and The outsider, were found. This study concludes that while IQNs encounter issues in their new work environment, they remain integral to the safe and effective delivery of nursing care, especially within the New Zealand hospital setting