Home and away: A national mixed-methods questionnaire survey of host and migrant Registered Nurses in New Zealand. Issue 2 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brunton, Margaret; Cook, Catherine; Walker, Léonie; Clendon, Jill; Atefi, Nilo
• Is Part Of: Collegian. Volume 27:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 173
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Registered Nurses -- cross-cultural communication -- leadership -- teamwork -- organisational -- culture -- healthcare -- workplaces -- New Zealand -- host and migrant -- nurses; Nursing -- Australia -- Periodicals; 610.73099405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colegn.2019.08.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1322-7696

Abstract

Abstract: Background: There are numerous studies examining the experiences of migrant nurses. However, there is less literature related to the concomitant experience of host nurses. Objective: This is the first identified study of the cultural influences on perceptions, practices and cross-cultural communication interface between Registered Nurses (RNs) from diverse ethnicities across the Aotearoa-New Zealand (NZ) health sector. Design: A mixed-methods online questionnaire survey was designed to identify key influences on RNs in a rapidly culturally-diversifying healthcare environment. The critical incident technique provided further insight into cultural influences on communication and practice. Participants: 259 respondents completed the questionnaire sent to a random sample of RNs in the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) database. Methods: The survey identified key factors present in the cross-cultural interface between host and migrant nurses. Principal components analysis uncovered the underlying structure of variables and thematic analysis of the qualitative data provided enhanced insight. Results: Three key areas accounted for 57.23% of variance: Factor 1: teamwork (40.2%); Factor 2: management (12.2%) and Factor 3: Organisational culture (4%). Sub-themes accompanied each factor to illustrate the impact on both groups of RNs. Conclusion: There was a clear desire for RNs, both host and migrant nurses, for support to enable them to foster good working relationships in collaborative teams. Empathetic, culturally-competent managers and organisational resources are required to facilitate this process.