Hope, passion and perseverance: experiences of internationally educated nurses pursuing nursing authorisation in Norway–a qualitative study
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3151574Utgivelsesdato
2024Metadata
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Originalversjon
10.1186/s12912-024-02297-xSammendrag
Background The global nursing shortage is driving nursing professionals to migrate from their home countries to
other regions of the world, leading to increased diversity in healthcare settings and nursing education across Europe.
Although research on the experiences of internationally educated nurses has gained more attention in Norway, a
substantial gap remains in understanding the challenges these nurses face when participating in bridging programs
and seeking authorisation as registered nurses in the host country.
Methods The aim of the present study is to gain knowledge about the experiences of students in a digitised
bridging program for nurses, related to being a nurse educated outside the European Union and a student with
a Norwegian as a second language and migrant/refugee background. Oslo Metropolitan University initiated a
decentralised education programme in 2021, offering a bridging programme for individuals with a nursing education
from countries outside the European Union. This programme was conducted in a decentralised, gathering-based,
and predominantly digitised format. The study has a qualitative descriptive design and includes a purposive sample
of eight former nursing students enrolled in the programme. Data were collected through individual semistructured
interviews conducted between November and December 2023. The data were analysed by employing thematic
analysis. The study is reported in accordance with the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research
(COREQ).
Results Analyses revealed a main theme—the participants’ ability to persist in their goal over the long term,
maintaining their interest, overcoming challenges, working hard and finishing tasks rather than giving up. This
theme is supported by three themes: (i) ‘Navigating bureaucratic challenges – The struggle with authorisation and
overwhelming requirements, (ii) ‘An emotional journey – The ups and downs of participating in the program’, and (iii)
‘Achieving recognition – The journey to authorisation and professional confidence’.
Conclusions The study underscores the numerous challenges encountered by internationally educated nurses
seeking registered nurse’ recognition in Norway. Despite these challenges, the participants displayed remarkable
hope, passion and perseverance, remaining committed to their goal of becoming registered nurses in Norway.