The experience of sub-Saharan African overseas qualified nurses working in rural Australia: A hermeneutic phenomenological study

The phenomenon of international nurse migration is not new. More nurses are seeking employment across national borders. Trends of international nurse recruitment have shown an increase in the movement of nurses between developing and developed countries. In Australia, overseas qualified nurses (OQNs), are found in both urban and rural areas. However, experiences of OQNs in rural and remote areas of Australia, specifically those of sub-Saharan African nurses, remain minimally explored.

The research study sought to explore the experience of OQNs following their migration from sub-Saharan Africa to work in rural New South Wales, Australia. Gadamerian hermeneutics guided the processes of this inductive study. Eighteen sub-Saharan African OQNs shared their experience through individual face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion. They were conveniently selected, mainly through the snowballing technique.

Three themes were identified: i) The Move Across the Indian Ocean, as participants described their experiences as they left their countries and arrived in Australia; ii) New Life in an Alien Land as perceived by participants as they negotiated the Australian workplace systems and way of life; iii) Developing a Sense of Belonging and Moving On, as participants sought ways of becoming part of local communities in their newly adopted country. The findings indicated that participants responded to push and pull factors of international migration. Participants experienced a warm welcome from management teams in rural Australia. However, they soon had to contend with negative responses by some of their colleagues and patients in the workplace which led to the participants’ perception of being alienated in the workplace through discrimination and disadvantage based on race. Participants called on their resilience and persistence to remain focused on their migration goals. The study also uncovered cultural differences that participants had to negotiate as they settled into a new life in rural Australia.