Integration of foreign-born nurses in Finnish social and health care organizations: evidences, challenges and responses

Abstract

This paper explores cultural diversity issues in Finnish social and health care organizations by looking at the experiences of foreign-born nurses (FBNs) and employers and considering how the regulation framework shapes the position of FBNs in the Finnish labor market. The results from the fieldwork reveal that nurses' national and professional backgrounds are key in the integration process and that there are differences between "well-established" and "new" FBNs. In particular, nurses recruited internationally in recent years were notably in lower-status positions. An explanation is that these nurses were hired to solve a personnel shortage and not because of their qualifications.