Double Whammy for a New Breed of Foreign-Educated Nurses: Lived Experiences of Filipino Physician-Turned Nurses in the United States

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of eight self-identified Filipino physician-turned nurses working in Las Vegas in the United States. Participants were interviewed, and audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim. Meanings of significant statements and clusters of themes and subthemes were then generated using the Colaizzi’s (1978) method. In addition, van Manen’s (1990) existentials of lived world was adopted to interpret the collected data. The results of the study revealed that the experiences of these Filipino physician-turned nurses involved multidimensional challenges captured in three themes in context of cross-national and transprofessional migration. As a result, they faced a “double whammy” adjustment to a new cultural and work environment common to all foreign nurses (cultural adaptation) and unique identity/role change from physician to nurse (transprofessional adaptation)—that made their transition especially challenging, resulting in short-lived nursing careers at the bedside. Tailored transition programs for physician-turned foreign nurses are needed to address their transprofessional adaptation. In addition, costs and benefits of recruiting and employing physician-turned foreign nurses as direct caregivers need to be reconsidered in light of this study’s findings.