Internationally educated nurses’ and medical graduates’ experiences of getting a license and practicing in Sweden – a qualitative interview study

Abstract

BackgroundThe Swedish healthcare system has an increased need for nurses and physicians, and the number of International Educated Nurses (IENs) and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) seeking job opportunities and a license to practice in Sweden is rising. This study explored how IENs and IMGs describe their experience of getting a license to practice, their perceptions of working in Sweden and of how their intercultural competence is utilized.MethodA qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 11 IENs and 11 IMGs. The interviews were conducted between 2015 and 2017. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThree main themes were identified: ‘Getting a license – a different story,’ ‘The work is familiar, yet a lot is new,’ ‘Trying to master a new language.’ The time to obtain a license to practice and finding a job was shorter for IENs and IMGs coming from European countries than for those from non-European countries. Some of the experiences of getting a license to practice and of entering a new workplace in another country were the same for nurses and physicians. In general, both IENs and IMGs felt welcomed and used their intercultural competence at work. Lack of language skills was regarded as the main problem for both professions, while workplace introduction was shorter for IMGs than for IENs.ConclusionsProblems related to language and culture are often underestimated, therefore organizations and managers employing IENs and IMGs should provide longer workplace introduction to facilitate the acculturation process. More time-efficient language courses specifically adapted to IENs and IMGs could make the transition easier and shorten the time to obtain a license to practice for both professions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-018-1399-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A courageous journey: Experiences of migrant Philippine nurses in Norway

“…The Norwegian system of formal recognition of the IENs' professional qualifications is quite similar to the Swedish system. A Swedish study on IENs' experiences of getting a license (Eriksson, Berg, & Engstrom, 2018) revealed a difficult time learning Swedish. The IENs also had to work as auxiliary nurses to have an income when studying for supplementary training and taking the proficiency test, experiencing that they did not have enough time for both study and work (Eriksson et al, 2018).…”

“…A Swedish study on IENs' experiences of getting a license (Eriksson, Berg, & Engstrom, 2018) revealed a difficult time learning Swedish. The IENs also had to work as auxiliary nurses to have an income when studying for supplementary training and taking the proficiency test, experiencing that they did not have enough time for both study and work (Eriksson et al, 2018). In this regard, Jenkins and Huntington (2015) raised the ethical implication of employing nurses for whom English is not their first language, because of risk factors for discrimination and exploitation.…”

Experiences of nurses educated outside the European Union of a Swedish bridging program and the program’s role in their integration into the nursing profession: a qualitative interview study

“…These results highlight that more support is needed from formal organizational resources, i.e., information about the application process, the requirements for attending bridging programs, financial support available during this process [4] etc. This is particularly the case for individuals migrating for other reasons than being refugees, as these individuals are not targeted by programs for the newly arrived and are thus left to cater for themselves to a greater extent [23].…”

“…The bridging program is aimed at internationally educated nurses with a degree from a country outside the EU (European Union)/EES. After completing the bridging program, the IEN must show the knowledge and ability required to be able to apply for nursing license in Sweden [4]. Consequently, it is necessary to offer bridging programs to IENs to ease their transition and expand their cultural, practical and theoretical knowledge to ensure patient safety [5,6].…”

“…There are literature reviews about IENs' experiences related to migration and acculturation [7], migration and transition into the Canadian health care system [8,9], bridging programs [6] and work experiences in a new country [4,10,11]. Such research shows that IENs experience the migration and transitioning mostly positively in terms of improved income and professional status.…”