An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study of the integration and career progression of internationally educated nurses (IENs) in UK healthcare: the lived experience of UK registered nurses with Nigeria heritage in the London region

Background: Internationally educated nurses (IENs) form a significant number of British minority ethnic (BME) group in the UK healthcare service. Discrimination against the BME group is pervasive in the National Health Service (NHS), especially in promotion and recruitment to leadership and management positions. However, some BME nurses in UK healthcare achieve and sustain senior management and leadership positions.

Methods: This qualitative study employs an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to explore the participants perspectives on integration and how they attained, sustained and thrived in senior clinical and management positions in UK healthcare in the London region.

Results: The themes derived from the analysis are education, mentoring, coaching, and personal characteristics or behavioural preferences. These themes and analytical findings are significant markers and means of integration and career progression in UK healthcare in the London region. The findings reveal that all the highly successful registered nurses with Nigeria heritage had tertiary education outside of the UK before gaining Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration or progressed to attain a degree or postgraduate degree on qualification as a registered nurse. The study indicates that respondents’ career progression to senior position was influenced by the availability or access to a mentor and, or a career coach. All the participants agreed that the individual’s characteristics and personal factors concerning professional practice helped to break through professional barriers, and in dealing with challenges to achieve higher grades or bands.

Conclusions: The experiences of these BME nurses with Nigeria heritage might help us understand how some IENs successfully navigated the pathway of integration and their career progression in UK healthcare.

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