Professional identity positioning of internationally qualified nurses during workplace interactions with colleagues in New Zealand healthcare settings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2024
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Massey University
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Abstract
The global nursing shortage has been a catalyst for the international migration of nurses. Internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) are valued in New Zealand as capable and competent healthcare professionals. As limited research exists into the professional identity of IQNs in New Zealand, my aim for this study was to explore IQNs’ discursive identity positioning. Research determining ways to support IQNs’ career sustainability was missing in the extant literature, which this study sought to address. Taking a social constructionist perspective, I employed narrative inquiry to empower eight IQN participants to tell stories of challenging and positive workplace interactions with their colleagues. The participants had English as their first or additional language and had been nursing in New Zealand for at least three years. Narrative data from participants were collected during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in New Zealand by means of semi-structured interviews (‘Story-Led Conversations’) and peer-facilitated conversations via Zoom (‘Zoom Pair Shares’). Participants’ storied experiences were analysed to reveal aspects of IQNs’ discursive positioning. This allowed me to identify:
how IQNs positioned themselves and others as they told stories of participating in workplace interactions with colleagues in New Zealand healthcare settings;
how they used discursive positioning in their stories to jointly construct aspects of their professional identity; and
the implications of understanding, and responding to, participants’ stories for the IQNs themselves and the wider nursing community.
I used thematic analysis to construct six themes related to IQNs’ workplace interactions. I also developed an analytical framework based on positioning theory—the multimodal positioning analysis (MPA) model—to analyse participants’ discursive positioning of self and others when telling their stories of workplace interactions. Research findings indicated that IQN participants’ workplace interactions with colleagues impacted upon their professional identity positioning. The nature of this impact included IQNs’ sense of professional self, agency, collegiality, and wellbeing, which are critical for IQNs’ feelings of belonging and career sustainability. Findings from this study may lead to greater understanding and support of IQNs as they build a successful long-term nursing career in New Zealand.
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internationally qualified nurses, professional identity, sense of professional self, discursive identity positioning, multimodal positioning analysis, workplace interactions with colleagues, New Zealand healthcare settings, COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, migrant nurses' career sustainability, migrant nurses' wellbeing, Nurses, Foreign, Attitudes, Professional relationships, New Zealand, Interpersonal communication, Language in the workplace, Identity (Psychology), Social aspects