Lived Experience of Korean Immigrant Nurse Practitioners

Abstract

The impact that nurse practitioners make in the health care system has been increasingly visible. The number of nurse practitioners with ethnic minority backgrounds has been growing. However, while much is known about immigrant nurses, limited research has been conducted about immigrant nurse practitioners (NPs) who immigrated as an RN (registered nurses) and became aNP. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experience of Korean immigrant nurse practitioners. Eight Korean immigrant nurse practitioners participated in this qualitative study that used the unstructured interview technique to collect data. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method of phenomenology. Six main themes are identified: motivation, challenges, support system, transition process, conflict, and satisfaction. All participants experienced challenges around English proficiency and visa status at the beginning of their life in the United States. They went through the transition process and overcame challenges successfully with support from various sources. They are currently very satisfied with how they could make a difference in patients’ life. The finding of this study generated qualitative evidence of ethnic minority immigrant nurse practitioners functioning as vital healthcare providers, which is an encouraging fact for the U.S. health care system, where diverse providers are in need.