Challenges faced by international nurses when migrating: an integrative literature review L.-X. Pung 1 Honours student & Y.-S. Goh 1,2 MN, PhD 1 Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 2 Senior Lecturer, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University Health System, Singapore PUNG L.-X. & GOH Y.-S. (2017) Challenges faced by international nurses when migrating: an integrative literature review. International Nursing Review 64, 146–165 Aim: Results from this literature review were used to identify the challenges faced by international nurses in their host countries following migration. Background: The increasing strain of nursing shortages in the healthcare system has led to the recruitment of international nurses among many countries. However, following migration, international nurses are faced with challenges that may result in poor integration with their host countries. Methods: Using Cooper’s five stages for integrative research reviews, a literature search was conducted across seven databases using a PRISMA search strategy. Additional manual searches were also conducted on the end-references of the retrieved articles. The authors then independently reviewed the selected articles using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal form to extract and generate the themes for the review. Findings: Twenty-four articles were selected for the review. The themes generated included: (i) difficulty orientating; (ii) a longing for what is missing; (iii) professional development and devaluing; (iv) communication barriers; (v) discrimination and marginalization; (vi) personal and professional differences; and (vii) a meaningful support system. Implications for policy and practice: By identifying the challenges faced by international nurses, interventions that ensure equal treatment (e.g. multifaceted transition programmes and culturally sensitive ‘buddy’ systems) can be implemented to help international nurses adapt to their new environments. Adequate communication can be achieved by encouraging international nurses to speak English and learn the colloquial language and non-verbal behaviours used by native nurses. Conclusion: With good integration international nurses may be able to reach their full career potential as professional nurses in their host countries. The adaptation process is a dynamic process that requires effort from both international and native nurses. Thus, any strategies that are developed and implemented must be multifaceted. Keywords: Challenges, Communication, Discrimination, Experience, Integration, International Nurses, Migrant Nurses Correspondence address: Dr Yong-Shian Goh, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre (MD 11), 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore; Tel: +65 6601 1297; Fax: +65 6776 7135; E-mail: shawn_goh@nuhs.edu.sg. Conflict of interest The author(s) declare that they have no conflict of interests. 146 © 2016 International Council of Nurses Literature Review