J Korean Acad Nurs.  2016 Apr;46(2):238-248. 10.4040/jkan.2016.46.2.238.

Clinical Work Experience of Korean Immigrant Nurses in U.S. Hospitals

• Seo K
• Kim M

• KMID: 2413154
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2016.46.2.238

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of the experience of Korean immigrant nurses working in US hospitals.
METHODS
Purposive sampling yielded 15 Korean immigrant nurses who had more than one year of clinical experience in US hospitals. Data were collected from March to August 2012 through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis was conducted using van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach.
RESULTS
The findings were classified into eight themes: 'struggling from staff at workplace being territorial to outsiders', 'feeling oppressed due to language barrier', 'accepting rational and horizontal relationships at work', 'staying alert in the environment where lawsuits are rife', 'feeling a sense of stability from the social system that values human dignity', 'maintaining self-confidence from prominent nursing practices and senior Korean nurses' professional reputation', 'performing essential comprehensive nursing care', 'promoting self-development to be equipped with professionalism.'
CONCLUSION
The findings indicate that the Korean immigrant nurses were able to excel in their workplace when their clinical experience at US hospitals was combined with the lived space in US politics and environment, lived time of patience, lived body to be alert, and lived others with multi cultural characteristics.

Keyword

Immigrants; Language barriers; Nurses; Qualitative research

MeSH Terms

Adult
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Communication Barriers
Cultural Characteristics
Electronic Health Records
Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Middle Aged
Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology
Qualitative Research
Republic of Korea
Stress, Psychological
United States

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