The downward occupational mobility of internationally educated nurses to domestic workers

Abstract

Despite the fact that there is unmet demand for nurses in health services around the world, some nurses migrate to destination countries to work as domestic workers. According to the literature, these nurses experience contradictions in class mobility and are at increased risk of exploitation and abuse. This article presents a critical discussion of the migration of nurses as domestic workers using the concept of 'global care chain'. Although several scholars have used the concept of global care chains to illustrate south to north migration of domestic workers and nurses, there is a paucity of literature on the migration of nurses to destination countries as domestic workers. The migration of nurses to destination countries as domestic workers involves the extraction of reproductive and skilled care labor without adequate compensatory mechanisms to such skilled nurses. Using the case of the Canadian Live-in Caregiver Program, the study illustrates how the global movement of internationally educated nurses as migrant domestic workers reinforces inequities that are structured along the power gradient of gender, class, race, nationality, and ethnicity, especially within an era of global nursing shortage.

African Female Physicians and Nurses in the Global Care Chain: Qualitative Explorations from Five Destination Countries

“…The problems of deskilling or inability to work for professionals with non-European diplomas have been discussed in many studies [29, 36, 37, 48, 50, 52, 63]. Ouali [64] argues that particularly migrant women with a non-European graduate diploma have a hard time finding a job as the European market is overcrowded with highly qualified personnel, and the EU favours European diplomas over non-European ones.…”

“…Only recently has research on care migration flow focusing on nurses increased [11, 24, 42–47]. A feature often reported by migrant nurses in highly institutional settings is the feeling of devaluation and relatively limited responsibilities compared to their home countries [29, 48]. Even in the more regulated environment of the institutionalized settings with labour rights, migrant nurses often worked in positions they were overqualified for [29].…”

White British researchers and internationally educated research participants: Insights from reflective practices on issues of language and culture in nursing contexts

“…The onus is on them to own the cultural differences that exist within the organisation (Allan et al 2004;Larsen et al 2005). Despite growing demand for internationally educated nurses to fill the shortage of qualified nurses in the UK (NHS Employers 2014) there is evidence to suggest that they are working instead as Healthcare Assistants (also described as Care Assistants, Care Aides, Health Aides, Nursing Assistants, Nursing Auxiliaries, and Support Workers) on their arrival in the UK (Salami and Nelson 2014). There is an urgent need to understand the reasons for this and how they might be overcome.…”

Exploring the Information-Seeking Behaviour of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Saskatchewan.

“…These barriers include fear of lawsuits and litigation [8]; unfamiliar technology [28]; clinical differences [29]; cultural differences and competencies [30,31]; verbal, written, and general language communication challenges [27, 30, 32Á34]; marginalization and cultural dissonance [34]; challenges due to differences in local healthcare systems and practices [31]; racism and discrimination [35]; lack of assertiveness and differences in beliefs that influence clinical practice [35]; psychological stress [37]; social isolation and deskilling in low-level jobs [38]; lack of supportive leadership and differences in patient care [8]; and the stress of passing the licensure examination [31,36].…”