International nursing students’ and international nursing graduates’ experiences of transition to the nursing workforce: A systematic review of qualitative evidence

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise existing evidence on the experiences of international nursing students’ and international nursing graduates’ transition to the host country’s nursing workforce. BackgroundInternational students’ experiences of transition to the host country has been extensively explored by researchers. International students experience unique challenges related to communication and language, socialisation, finance, and temporary student visa. One under-researched area is the experiences of transition for international nursing students and international nursing graduates. This systematic review examined the existing evidence on international nursing students’ and international nursing graduates’ experiences of transition to the host country’s nursing workforce. Inclusion criteriaThis review considered published and unpublished studies—qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, evidence syntheses, and grey literature—that included international nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate nursing programme outside their home country and international nursing graduates, either employed or not yet employed in nursing and within their first year of completing an undergraduate nursing programme outside their home country. MethodsA three-step search strategy was utilised in this review. The search strategy aimed to find published and unpublished literature in English from January 2000 to April 2020. The databases searched were Ovid Medline, Scopus, Emcare, ERIC, PsycINFO, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, JBI Evidence-based Practice Database, and ScienceDirect. Two reviewers independently screened the titles/abstracts and full texts of studies for inclusion and appraised the methodological quality of the included studies. Findings and accompanying illustrations were extracted by one reviewer, assigned a level of credibility, and checked by the others. Results were analysed using JBI’s approach to qualitative meta-aggregation. ResultsThis review included three qualitative papers published between 2011 and 2018. All included studies were appraised as of moderate quality. Sixty-five study findings and nineteen categories were aggregated into the following six synthesised findings: international nursing graduates developed confidence and satisfaction through challenges; personal challenges; clinical challenges; discrimination and justice; academic barriers to success; and what international nursing students liked and wanted. ConclusionThe synthesised findings revealed ongoing anxiety, lack of preparedness and role uncertainty that was experienced by international nursing students and international nursing graduates as they transition to the host country’s nursing workforce. They expressed the need for information about professional role expectations, guidance, and support to transition. University transition programmes and services could provide support to address the workforce transition challenges faced by international nursing students and international nursing graduates. Tweetable abstractSystematic review shows international nursing students and international nursing graduates experience anxiety, limited preparedness and role uncertainty when transitioning to the host country’s nursing workforce.