Support for Overseas Qualified Nurses: Report of a Study Tour to the USA and the UK

Organisational support is important for the transition of the newly recruited nurses from overseas. A study tour was undertaken to investigate the organisational support at several hospitals and universities and meetings with experts in the USA and the UK. The key areas examined were the recruitment of overseas qualified nurses and midwives and its process, the personnel involved in the recruitment and support of overseas qualified nurses and midwives, and supports provided by originations. As the recruitment of the overseas qualified midwives has not been a usual practice in the places I visited, the tour focus was limited to overseas qualified nurses. Successful transition of overseas qualified nurses in a host country requires strong leadership and robust support systems. The lessons learnt from the study tour have given insights and highlighted evidence based approaches that will inform the development and implementation of the overseas staff support program for Hunter New England Local District.