Exploring the integration of culturally and linguistically diverse nurses and nursing students in healthcare: A cross-sectional study

Aim

To investigate the factors that influence the integration of CALD nurses and nursing students into the healthcare system and to explore their perception of integration.

Background

In many countries, strengthening the nursing workforce requires a ramping up of international recruitment. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nurses and nursing students experience significant challenges when integrating into new healthcare systems.

Design

Data for this cross-sectional observational study were collected electronically from CALD nurses (n = 15) and from nursing students (n = 87).

Methods

Three new instruments were developed and used to measure nurses’ own role at work, cultural and linguistic diversity at work, and the professional competence development. Likert scale from 1 to 4 was used to evaluate the agreement rate. The study data were analysed using K-means cluster analysis to determine the integration profiles.

Results

Three integration profiles (A, B, and C) were identified based on the participants' self-assessed perceptions of integration. Perceptions of each profile ranged from low (≤2.49) to high (≥3.50), with most being intermediate (2.50–3.49). Further, the perceptions of integration were lowest in Profile A and highest in Profile C. The profiles differed statistically significantly in all other measured integration areas, except CALD nurses’ language skills and in the nurses’ ability to develop their skills. Individuals educated in Finland, who have clinical practice experience and assessed their language proficiency at least at an intermediate level, demonstrated better performance, a deeper understanding of the nurse's role in healthcare, greater confidence in their skills, and fewer experiences of discrimination.

Conclusions

Integration is weakest among those with lower language skills and who completed their education outside of Finland. Healthcare organisations should develop integration models and mentoring programmes informed by new insights to support the integration of CALD nurses into the healthcare system. These models and programmes could help CALD nurses and nursing students to better understand their roles in healthcare.