Transitioning to trauma care: A phenomenological study of non-trauma foreign-trained nurses

Date

2023

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

DOI

Volume Title

Publisher

Elsevier

Type

Conference

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

Background: The increasing global nursing workforce shortage creates higher demands for recruiting foreign-trained nurses, especially in high-income countries that depend on them to fill their nursing workforce gaps. Specifically, Saudi Arabia, a high-income country that possesses one of the highest trauma rates globally, recruits two-thirds of its total nursing workforce from other foreign countries. However, a significant number of newly recruited foreign-trained nurses are allocated to major trauma care settings without gaining previous trauma care experience in their home countries. This exposes them to intolerable workloads and higher rates of dissatisfaction affecting their transition and integration into their new care settings. Aim: To explore and describe the lived experiences of moving to major trauma care in Saudi Arabia as non-trauma foreign-trained nurses. Methods: The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach guided by Husserl's phenomenology. In-depth, unstructured one-to-one interviews were conducted to gather data about the participants' transition journeys through real-life examples and stories from their own lived experiences. A total of nine foreign nurses were recruited to the study. The nurses were interviewed twice on two different occasions. The data were analysed using Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method. Findings: Three main themes were identified, (1) facing a new reality, (2) adjusting towards growth, and (3) achieving belonging. The themes depict the nurses' journey from their arrival in a foreign country as novice trauma nurses through to attaining a higher-level proficiency. Moreover, the themes highlight the phenomenon behind the significant transition the nurses went through at the personal, emotional, and professional levels. Conclusion: Extreme cultural, social, and religious differences and the need to provide nursing care in a challenging practice area were significant factors in the nurses' transition, which exposed them to culture and practice shocks. However, by practising emotional labour throughout their transition, the nurses moved forward and achieved belonging within the care setting. Therefore, the study provides practice and future research recommendations for enhancing foreign-trained nurses' recruitment and retention, which can lead to improvements in the pre-and post-arrival experiences of other nurses in similar contexts.

Description

Accepted abstract for oral presentation at the 4th Global Conference on Emergency Nursing and Trauma Care, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Keywords

foreign-trained nurses, major trauma, Husserl, Phenomenology

Citation

Al-Sheikh Hassan, M. (2023) Transitioning to trauma care: A phenomenological study of non-trauma foreign-trained nurses. 4th Global Conference on Emergency Nursing and Trauma Care, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Rights

Research Institute