Practical advice for refugees aspiring to become registered nurses in Australia

This paper describes practical advice for refugees aspiring to become Registered Nurses (RNs) in Australia.

Qualitative description using a naturalistic inquiry framework.

Between February 2018 and September 2019, the lead author conducted semi-structured interviews with employed RNs that are former refugees that speak English. Interviews were 45-90 min in duration and digitally recorded. Participants provided voluntary informed consent and were sent questions beforehand. All transcription data were thematically analysed for key themes until no further themes were identified. This paper covers practical advice provided by the participants at the conclusion of their interviews.

Twelve participants provided practical advice. Six themes were identified: (1) Find your purpose and set goals; (2) Work hard and never give up; (3) Seek support; (4) Capitalize on opportunities; (5) Be optimistic; (6) Give back. The last theme, give back, was salient across all interviews and was an inherent motivator for some participants once their RN status was achieved.

Each participant set the goal of becoming a fully registered nurse and made it a life goal that provided meaning for them. Despite their experiences, the participants provided practical advice that could guide younger people aspiring to become successfully qualified RNs.

The findings in this study are unique as they are derived from people with experiences as refugees who, despite their adversity, became RNs. The practical advice provides a framework not only for younger people from refugee backgrounds seeking to achieve their professional goals, but others looking to succeed in other workforce sectors. The practical advice for success will be useful in informing nursing authorities, tertiary institutions and private and public health organizations to develop effective approaches to guide the next generation of would-be RNs set to contribute to nursing practice in Australia. There were no patient or public contributions as the focus was the personal and professional lives of nurses with refugee backgrounds.