Occupational Conditions Perceived by Mexican Migrant Nurses in Germany

Abstract

Introduction: Migration of Mexican nursing professionals is expected to increase in the coming years, due to the shortage of nurses worldwide. There is an urgent need to study the occupational conditions of Mexican nurses in host countries from a cross-cultural perspective.

Objective: To examine the occupational perceptions of Mexican nurses practicing in a clinical setting in Germany, from a cross-cultural perspective.

Methods: A focused ethnographic study was conducted between November 2020 and May 2021. The sample (n=11) involved nursing professionals from Mexico working in a clinical setting in Germany. The data were collected through semistructured interviews via the digital platform Zoom. The interviews were audio-recorded with prior informed consent. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data; Quirkos, a qualitative data analysis software, was used in the process. 

Results: Three themes were identified: structural occupational conditions, describing the occupational characteristics that influence the performance of transcultural nursing care; cultural diversity of care, describing variability in the meaning of nursing care; and transcultural practice, describing nurses' cultural perceptions of the care that they provide in Germany.

Conclusions: Structural occupational conditions and cultural diversity of care favor or impede the quality of care provided by Mexican nurses in Germany. The findings suggest the need to advocate for policies that improve the occupational conditions of nurses in Mexico and Germany.