The hurdles of migrant nurses

The vast disequilibrium between healthcare providers and the recipients of care creates a hazard effect to all. This is a global issue as who will look after the growing and ageing population? Some countries have decided to recruit from outside their own country. Prior to registration, the Board of Nursing has imposed a regulation that a foreign nurse has to undergo a three- to six-month adaptation programme. The main objective is to assess and evaluate and at the end of the programme it is hoped that the nurse will be deemed competent and safe to practice. Foreign nurses face tremendous challenges but are able to integrate with the provision of support services and an adaptation programme. This programme needs to be culturally sensitive to nurses who are used to work in a different system of health care.