International Migration

The United States of America (USA) has recruited foreign educated nurses (FENs) to fill vacancies of registered nurses (RNs), since World War II. Despite this long history, few studies have examined the experiences of FENs and so this study was prompted using a phenomenology of practice approach to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of FENs working in USA? A purposive sample of 20 FENs immigrated to the US from The Philippines, India, and Nigeria within the last five years was recruited for the study. Primary data were the narratives collected during interviews which were transcribed, coded, and clustered guided by Giorgi (1985) method. Findings were six themes :Dreams of a better life, Difficulties of the journey, A shocking reality, Rising above the challenges, Feeling and doing better, and ready to help others. This Study was evaluated using Burns & Grove (2003) and Lincoln& Guba (1985) criteria of rigor and trustworthiness. Berry and Kim s (1988) model of acculturation seems to be a fitting context for the comparison of this study s findings to guide future support programs for FENs by healthcare organizations.