Does Being a Visible Minority Matter? Predictors of Internationally Educated Nurses' Workplace Integration

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Immigration Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• International nurse migration to Canada is increasing, with a majority belonging to visible minorities.
• Internationally educated nurses (IENs) often face challenges integrating into their new workplaces.
• A lack of comprehensive understanding of IENs' workplace integration factors hinders effective policy and practice development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess IENs' perceived workplace integration and identify supporting individual and contextual factors.
• To explore differences in integration perceptions based on visible minority status.
• To determine key predictors of IENs' workplace integration.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1215 IENs who were immigrants, permanent residents, and employed as regulated nurses.
• Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to investigate the influence of individual and contextual factors on perceived workplace integration.

Main Results:

• Visible minority status showed a significant negative association with workplace integration (β = -0.236, p < .001).
• Positive relationships with coworkers (β = 0.043, p < .005) and ongoing professional development in nursing knowledge and skills (β = 0.178, p < .003) were positively associated with integration.

Conclusions:

• Visible minority status can impact the workplace experiences of IENs.
• Educational opportunities, managerial support, and mentorship are crucial for fostering successful workplace integration of IENs.