An Internationally Educated Nurse’s Perspective on Nursing in Canada

Abstract

In Kristeva’s (1991) By What Right Are You a Foreigner?, she described the historic images of a foreigner, how these individuals are stigmatized, their otherness in a society that paradoxically welcomes and, to a certain extent, puts them on ‘leash’ as a means of controlling these foreigners, these others. Reflecting on this article, and being an immigrant and an internationally-educated nurse (IEN) from a developing country, the author reflects on Kristeva’s work in relation to the discourse on IENs’ experiences, along with his personal reflections, experiences, and journey of becoming and being a nurse in Canada, with the hope of initiating a dialogue to address the issues surrounding IEN transitioning in Canada.

Keywords

• internationally educated nurse
• stigma
• Canada