Adaptation Challenges Facing Internationally Educated Nurses

In Brief This article describes the challenges facing internationally educated nurses working in the United States, combining an extensive literature review with the personal perspectives of a registered nurse from Kenya. An extensive literature search was conducted, and databases were collected and reviewed, while the nurse was participating in an internship at a hospital in a border city in California. Intertwining the personal experiences of the first author with an extensive literature review, the areas of communication, culture shock, nursing roles, and practice and orientation needs are covered. This article reinforces the difficulties faced by internationally educated nurses and makes suggestions for helping them make the adjustment to the US workforce. This article describes the challenges facing internationally educated nurses working in the United States. The authors describe an extensive literature review as well as personal perspectives and suggests strategies to help internationally educated nurses adjust to the workforce in the United States.