Abstract
Filipina nurses represent the majority of all internationally educated nurses recruited to work in the US. Although the hiring of Filipina nurses is not a new practice in US hospitals, very few studies have detailed how these nurses have adjusted to US nursing practices. This study examines how Filipina nurses transition into their role as nurses and adapt to nursing practice in the US. Following a qualitative approach, 31 Filipina nurses were interviewed as participants. The data were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, using the method of constant comparison. Analysis revealed that transitioning from Philippine to US nursing practice formed the basis of the social adaptation process, which occurred in three stages: pre-arrival, early adaptation, and late adaptation. Participant-recommended strategies to address adaptation needs experienced at each of these stages are shared. All participants experienced challenges while adjusting to the US healthcare system and cultural landscape.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA. 2002;288:1987–93.
Upenieks V. Recruitment and retention strategies: a magnet hospital prevention model. Nurs Econ. 2003;21:7–23.
Bae SH. Organizational socialization of international nurses in the New York metropolitan area. Int Nurs Rev. 2011;59:81–7.
Davis CR, Nichols BL. Foreign-educated nurses and the changing U.S. nursing workforce. Nurs Adm Q. 2002;26:43–51.
Ronquillo C, Boschma G, Wong ST, Quiney L. Beyond greener pastures: exploring contexts surrounding Filipino nurse migration in Canada through oral history. Nurs Inq. 2011;18:262–75.
Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. Characteristics of foreign nurse graduates in the United States workforce 2000–2001. CGFNS, Philadelphia, PA; 2002.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Nursing. National sample survey of registered nurses. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2002.
DiCicco-Bloom B. The racial and gendered experiences of immigration nurses from Kerala, India. J Transcult Nurs. 2004;15:26–32.
Yi M, Jezewski MA. Korean nurses’ adjustment to hospitals in the United States of America. J Adv Nurs. 2000;32:721–9.
Daniel P, Chamberlain A, Gordon F. Expectations and experiences of newly recruited Filipino nurses. Br J Nurs. 2001;10:254–65.
Xu Y. Strangers in strange lands: a metasynthesis of lived experiences of immigrant Asian nurses working in Western countries. Adv Nurs Sci. 2007;30:246–65.
Pizer CM, Collard AF, Bishop CE, James SM, Bonaparte B. Recruiting and employing foreign nurse graduates in a large public hospital system. Hosp Health Serv Adm. 1994;39:31–46.
Hayne AN, Gerhardt C, Davis J. Filipino nurses in the United States: recruitment, retention, occupational stress, and job satisfaction. J Transcult Nurs. 2009;20:313–22.
Carney B. The ethics of recruiting foreign nurses. Health Prog. 2005;86(6):31–5.
Gamble DA. Filipina nurse recruitment as a staffing strategy. J Nurs Adm. 2002;32:175–7.
Kline DS. Push and pull factors in international nurse migration. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2003;35:101–11.
Strauss A, Corbin J. Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park: Sage; 1990.
Strauss A, Corbin J. Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 1998.
Morse JM. Situating grounded theory within qualitative inquiry. In: Schreiber RS, Stern PN, editors. Using grounded theory in nursing. New York: Springer; 2001. p. 1–16.
Blumer H. Symbolic interactionism: perspective and method. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall; 1969.
Glaser BG. Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley: Sociology Press; 1978.
Ea EE, Griffin MQ, L’Eplattenier N, Fitzpatrick JJ. Job satisfaction and acculturation among Filipino registered nurses. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2008;40:46–51.
Gonagle CM, Halloran SO, O’Reilly O. The expectations and experiences of Filipino nurses working in an intellectual disability service in the Republic of Ireland. J Learn Disabil. 2004;8:371–81.
Liou SR, Cheng CY. Experiences of a Taiwanese nurse in the United States. Nurs Forum. 2011;46:102–9.
Ordonez RV, Gandeza N. Integrating traditional beliefs and modern medicine: Filipino nurses’ health beliefs, behaviors, and practices. Home Health Care Manag Pract. 2004;17:22–7.
Ea EE. Facilitating acculturation of foreign-educated nurses. Online J Issues Nurs. 2008;13(1):5.
Acknowledgments
This research is based on the author’s doctoral dissertation, “A Grounded Theory of Filipino Nurses’ Role Performance in US Hospitals,” submitted to the University of Texas at Austin. The dissertation was sponsored by American Nurses Foundation. The author wishes to thank her dissertation chair, Dr. Tracie Harrison, and her dissertation committee for their support and encouragement. The author would like to express her appreciation to Dr. Patricia Carter, Dr. Sherry Hendrickson, and Dr. John Bellquist for their editorial assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, LC. Filipina Nurses’ Transition into the US Hospital System. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 682–688 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9793-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9793-9