The learning experiences of immigrants who are graduates of an entry-level baccalaureate nursing program: A hermeneutic phenomenological study

Abstract International migration of individuals or families seeking to improve economic conditions or escape political oppression increases each year. With migrant movement, there is a need for appropriate health care to meet their health beliefs and cultural health traditions. Nurses comprise a large portion of the healthcare workforce and yet, the number of immigrant nurses educated in their adopted country remains low. The aim of this study was to understand the learning experiences of immigrant registered nurses who graduated from an entry-level baccalaureate nursing program in the United States. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach with a Gadamerian focus was utilized. Purposive sampling identified five immigrant graduates who were individually interviewed using several open-ended questions in a non-structured format. Analysis identified an overarching theme, “being on the outside.” Five subthemes emerged: harsh realities, disruptions, nurturance, resilience, and propagation. Recommendations from the interviews include: recognition and appreciation of each student, the nurse educator coming to know oneself first, followed by dialoguing with each student to perpetuate deeper understanding. Rather than accommodating the ethnically diverse immigrant nursing student through targeted interventions, the nurse educator should maintain an all-inclusive learning environment.