The multicultural workplace: Comfort, safety and migrant nurses
Debra Jackson
Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Broadway NSW
PP: 120 - 126
Abstract
The changing composition of Australian society has resulted in the reality of a multicultural workplace. With this comes the need to examine issues related to cultural wellbeing within an occupational setting.
Migrant women nurses from non-English speaking backgrounds participated in this phenomenological study, which examined their experiences working as nurses within the New South Wales health care system. Participants described traumatic experiences around entering the nursing work environment. Familiar and comfortable roles such as being a woman, a colleague and a nurse were altered and made uncomfortable by the imposition of disturbing and unfamiliar roles. This discomfort was compounded by what was experienced as an uncomfortable and perilous work environment. The task for these women became one of finding sanctuary and comfort and finally, of establishing a place for themselves.
This paper will take the reader on the journey from being a stranger to finding a place and will raise issues for discussion surrounding culture and safety in the nursing workplace.
Keywords
migrant nurses, multiculturalism, culture, horizontal violence, nursing
References
Anderson J (1991) The Phenomenological Perspective. In Morse J (ed) Qualitative Nursing Research: a contemporary dialogue. Sage Publications, London.
Australian Nursing Council Incorporated (1994) National Competencies for the Registered and Enrolled Nurse. Australian Nursing Council Incorporated, Canberra.
Bergum V (1991) Being a Phenomenological Researcher. In Morse J (ed) Qualitative Nursing Research: a contemporary dialogue. Sage Publications, London.
Carryer J (1995) Feminist research: strengths and challenges. Contemporary Nurse 4(4): 180-186.
Casey M and Holmes C (1995) The inner ache: an experiential perspective on loneliness. Nursing Inquiry 2(3): 172-179.
DeMarco R, Campbell J and Wuest J (1993) Feminist critique: searching for meaning in research. Advances in Nursing Science 16(2): 26-38.
Dollis N, Gifford S, Henenburg C and Pirkis J (1993) Removing Cultural and Language Barriers to Health. Issues paper number 6, National Health Strategy, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra.
Duffy E (1995) Horizontal violence: a conundrum for nursing. Collegian 2(2): 5-17.
Fisher J, Bradshaw J and Currie BA et al (1995) Context of Silence: violence and the remote area nurse. Faculty of Health Science, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton.
Gonda J, Hussin V, Gaston J and Blackman I (1995) Migrant nurses: their unique value. In Gray G and Pratt R (eds) Issues in Australian Nursing Vol 4. Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.
Hart G and Rotem A (1994) The best and worst: students experiences of clinical education. The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 11(3): 26-33.
Henry L (1995) 'Nursing Power Relations and their Influence on the Socialisation and Clinical Experience of the Student Nurse'. Paper presented at the 4th National Nursing Forum, Sustainable Nursing: Health of the Future, The Royal College of Nursing Australia, Tasmania.
King K (1994) Method and methodology in feminist research: What is the difference? Journal of Advanced Nursing 20(1): 19-22.
Lea A (1994) Nursing in today's multicultural society: a transcultural perspective. Journal of Advanced Nursing 20(2): 307-313.
Leininger M (1994) Transcultural nursing education: a worldwide imperative. Nursing and Health Care 15(5): 254-257.
Lynam M (1992) Towards the goal of providing culturally sensitive care: principles upon which to build nursing curricula. Journal of Advanced Nursing 17(2): 149-157.
McCall E (1995) 'Horizontal Violence in Nursing - The Continuing Silence'. Paper presented at the 4th National Nursing Forum, Sustainable Nursing: Health of the Future, The Royal College of Nursing Australia, Tasmania.
Madison J (1995) 'Sex-based Harassment'. Paper presented at the 4th National Nursing Forum, Sustainable Nursing: Health of the Future, The Royal College of Nursing Australia, Tasmania.
Menon M (1992) Migrant Nurses: cross cultural understanding or misunderstanding. In Gray G and Pratt R (eds) Issues in Australian Nursing Vol 3. Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.
Minister K (1991) A Feminist Frame for the Oral History Interview. In Gluck S and Patai D (eds) Women's Words: the feminist practice of oral history. Routledge, New York.
New South Wales Department of Health (1994) Bringing Down the Barriers. State Health Publication no. (WH) 94-068, New South Wales Department of Health, Sydney.
New South Wales Department of Health (1995) Workforce Planning for Selective Categories of Health Personnel in New South Wales, State Health Publication no. (WP) 950099, New South Wales Department of Health, Sydney.
Pittman L and Rogers T (1990) Nursing: a culturally diverse profession in a mono-cultural health system. The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 8(1): 30-38.
Prenesti S (1995) Sex-based harassment widespread- survey. Australian Nursing Journal 3(1): 9.
Raphael B (1992) Pressures on women at work. Mental Health in Australia 4(1): 20-27.
Rojas D (1994) Leadership in a multicultural society: a case in role development. Nursing and Health Care 15(5): 258-261.
Sandelowski M (1993) Rigor or rigor mortis: the problem of rigor in qualitative research revisited. Advances in Nursing Science 16(2): 1-8.
Sandelowski M (1994) Notes on transcription. Research in Nursing and Health 17: 311-314.
Skillings L (1991) 'Perceptions and Feelings of Nurses about Horizontal Violence as an Expression of Oppressed Group Behaviour'. Unpublished thesis, University of Southern Maine, Portland.
Snyder D and Bunkers S (1994) Facilitators and barriers for minority students in Master's nursing programs. Journal of Professional Nursing 10(3): 140-146.
Speedy S (1991) The Contribution of Feminist Research In Gray G and Pratt R (eds) Towards a Discipline of Nursing. Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.
Stevens P, Hall J and Meleis A (1992) Examining vulnerability of women clerical workers from five ethnic/racial groups. The Western Journal of Nursing Research 14(6): 754-774.
Tangtrakul S (1995) 'A Study of Social Support and Personal Factors Affecting Loneliness in Stroke Patients'. Presented at International Nursing Conference, Research for Practice: Making a Difference, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle.
Teschendorff J (1995) Culture Shock! Philippine nurses in Australia. In Gray G and Pratt R (eds) Issues in Australian Nursing Vol 4. Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.
Walker K (1994) Research with/in nursing: 'troubling' the field. Contemporary Nurse 3(4): 162-168.
Walker K (1995) 'Dangerous Liaisons: thinking, doing, nursing'. Paper presented at the 4th National Nursing Forum, Sustainable Nursing: Health of the Future, The Royal College of Nursing Australia, Tasmania.
Walters AJ (1994) An interpretive study of the clinical practice of critical care nurses. Contemporary Nurse 3(1): 21-25.
Webb C (1993) Feminist Research: definitions, methodology, methods and evaluation. Journal of Advanced Nursing 18(3): 416-423.
Wrigley P (1995) Managing aggression in general hospitals. Australian Nursing Journal 3(1): 20-22.
eContent Home
