Integration trends of internationally educated nurses in Canada and Australia: A scoping review

Background: Canada is less successful in integrating internationally educated nurses (IENs) into the nursing workforce than other developed countries like Australia. Objective & Design: This scoping review compares the integration trends of internationally educated nurses in Canada with those in Australia. Data Sources & Methods: Nine online databases were searched for English-language studies on the integration pathways of IENs in Canada or Australia. Results: Twenty-seven articles included in the review were completed in Canada (62.96%, n=17) and Australia (37%, n=10). The articles reported on internationally educated nurse integration in the workforce (18.5%, n=5) and workplace (66.7%, n=18), and four studies (14.8%) examined both workforce and workplace integration. This review highlighted the difficulties IENs encounter during their integration in Canada and Australia. Collaboration among stakeholders in Australia resulted in better integration of IENs. Conclusion: This review suggests Canadian ministries collaborate and align their policies to support better integration of internationally educated nurses into the Canadian health system.