Recruitment and Retention of International Nurses Aided by Recognition of Phases of the Adjustment Process

Spurred by the shortage of nurses, hospitals are turning to overseas recruitment. The success of such recruitment rests in large measure on an organization's address of an immensely and immediately practical consideration: What is the nature of the adjustment process for the international nurse, and what can a hospital do to facilitate this adjustment? This article describes the four phases of the adjustment process that are generic to the first-year experience of the international nurse and offers suggestions for an assimilation program.