Page 34 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

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rejection of both the host and heritage cul-
AcculturAtion tures (Berry, 2003). These categories suggest
that acculturation is influenced by individual
and societal factors, particularly those inher-
We are in the midst of an unparalleled rate of ent in host countries (Berry, 2003).
international migration particularly in North The factors that influence global migra-
America and Europe, which are experienc- tion are multifactorial. They are commonly
ing an unprecedented influx of immigrants described in the literature as push and pull
coming from Latin America, Asia, Africa, the factors (Kingma, 2001). Pull factors are those
Middle East, and the Caribbean (Schwartz, conditions found in receiving countries that
Unger, Zamboanga, & Szapocznik, 2010). attract migrants to relocate, whereas push
This phenomenon is shaping history and factors are those intrinsic and extrinsic con-
has resulted in significant multidisciplinary ditions that drive individuals to leave their
scholarships. There is extensive literature homeland (Kingma, 2001).
that investigates and explores how this phe- The global nursing shortage has been
nomenon impacts the person, the society, a catalyst for the international mobility of
and the global community as a whole. nursing professionals. However, interna-
The transformational experience of an tional nurse migration is predominantly uni-
individual when moving from a familiar cul- directional that has significantly impacted
ture or place of birth to a different culture, the health care delivery systems of both
country, or region is referred to as accul- the host and donor countries (Ea, Quinn
turation (Berry, 2003; Schwartz et al., 2010). Griffin, L’Eplattenier, & Fitzpatrick, 2008).
This process is multidimensional, individ- Economically advantaged countries such
ualized, dynamic, and interrelated (Berry, as the United States, the United Kingdom,
2003; Schwartz et al., 2010). Many scholars and some countries in the Middle East have
cite Berry’s (2003) conceptualization of accul- become magnet destinations for registered
turation, which he described to have several nurses coming from economically disad-
interacting phases that include an initial vantaged countries in Asia, Africa, and the
contact, a conflict resolution phase and an Caribbean (Ea et al., 2008). Examples of push
adaptation phase. Berry (2003) further cate- and pull factors that influence the migration
gorized adaptation to include assimilation, of nurses include improved employment
separation, integration, and marginalization. opportunities and increased professional
Assimilation refers to the adoption of the opportunities overseas, a search for a better
receiving country’s culture and relinquishing quality of life, an inherent personal desire
of one’s original culture, integration suggests to experience other cultures, and the need
biculturalism where an individual adopts to seek a safe working and living conditions
some behaviors and traits of the receiving (Kingma, 2001).
country while retaining one’s cultural heri- There are many instruments found in
tage, separation indicates retaining the her- the literature that attempt to measure accul-
itage culture and rejecting the host culture’s turation. Scholars on acculturation recom-
practices, and marginalization suggests mend that instruments that take into account