Nurses from Asian countries make up the majority of immigrant nurses globally. Although there are a limited number of studies on the lived experiences of Asian nurses working in Western countries, the development of nursing science will be impeded if the rich understanding gleaned from these studies is not synthesized. Using Noblit and Hare 1/4s (Meta-ethnography: Synthesizing Qualitative Studies. Newbury Park, Calif: Sage; 1988) procedures, a metasynthesis was conducted on 14 studies that met preset selection criteria. Four overarching themes emerged: (a) communication as a daunting challenge; (b) differences in nursing practice; (c) marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation; and (d) cultural differences. Based on the metasynthesis, a large narrative and expanded interpretation was constructed and implications for nursing knowledge development, clinical practice, and policy making are elaborated. Copyright © 2007 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Foreign nurses Metasynthesis Asian nurses Adaptation lived experiences

Communication Barriers social psychology Asian Foreign Professional Personnel Interpersonal Relations nursing psychological aspect clinical trial human communication disorder middle aged Asia Asian continental ancestry group Great Britain ethnology human relation meta analysis United States foreign worker Humans Ireland male Acculturation female cultural factor Article adult migration Prejudice United Kingdom Emigration and Immigration