Abstract
Background: In light of demographic developments, there is an increasing need for professional nursing staff. Recruiting international nurses, for example from Colombia, is being used as a strategy to counter the staff shortage. Previous efforts to successfully integrate these nurses into their new professional and social environments have sometimes revealed a variety of challenges.Objective: The study examines how Colombian nurses experience professional and social integration at Salzburg University Hospital as part of a structured onboarding programme. Method: For the qualitative study, semi-structured, problem-centered interviews were conducted with five Colombian nurses during two staggered series of interviews. The data from a total of ten interviews were analyzed according to the structuring qualitative content analysis by Kuckartz and Rädiker.
Results: The results of the study indicate that the integration of international nurses is a complex process affects by language barriers, social and professional challenges, cultural differences, and the recognition of qualifications obtained abroad. Implementing a structured onboarding program can help Colombian nurses more effectively adapt to the new work environment and become integral members of existing teams more quickly.
Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of a structured onboarding program for the integration of international nurses, with linguistic support and intercultural understanding within the teams appearing essential. The results suggest further investigations into the long-term effects on career paths, job satisfaction, and the quality of care, in order to evaluate existing measures and optimize future strategies.
| Date of Award | Apr 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | German (Austria) |
| Supervisor | Roland Eßl-Maurer (Supervisor) & Silvia Neumann-Ponesch (Supervisor) |