Polish nurses in Norway: Migration for “normal” work–life balance

Abstract

This paper expands and enriches existing knowledge on the work–life balance of migrant workers by exploring the experiences of Polish nurses in Norway. Previous studies predominantly highlight the obstacles faced by migrant workers, such as discrimination, low status and poor working conditions, in achieving work–life balance. Based on ethnographic interviews with 15 Polish nurses working in Norwegian hospitals and nursing homes, our main finding is that these nurses achieved work–life balance through migration. This finding should be viewed in light of their previous experiences in Poland, a precarious state where work–life balance is largely absent, and the apparent insignificance of discrimination in the host country for this group of migrants. The study highlights work–life balance as a cultural process of normalization, constantly negotiated and symbolizing “the West”. Furthermore, it brings attention to the role of class, ethnicity and national contexts in the work–life balance of migrant women.