Black African international nurses' experiences of pastoral support: A scoping review

Purpose

Overseas nurses are not new to the United Kingdom (UK), and neither is the concept of pastoral care. The immense contributions of international nurses are so obvious that it would be commonly assumed that there will be a strong literature base on pastoral care for these nurses. However, the opposite is very much the case. Pastoral support is crucial to the successful adaptation and integration of nurses who are recruited outside the United Kingdom to work within the NHS. To offer comprehensive fit-for-purpose support, the perspective of the nurses is important.

Objective

This scoping review aims to identify what is known about pastoral support for internationally educated nurses in the UK.

Methods

A scoping review method was used to review literature on pastoral support.

Results

Existing literature provided evidence on current practices, the challenges, and outcome criteria for successful pastoral support. It also provided evidence on how early pastoral support can fortify the nurses or deskill them. Finally, it revealed significant disparities in the support received by overseas nurses.

Conclusion

While the nurses’ experience of the previous adaptation programme has been explored, evidence on the current pastoral care practices is mostly found in policy guidelines, trainers’ reports, and opinion pieces. Since the inception of the NMC test of competence in 2014, the voice of the recipients of pastoral care is yet to be heard. This scoping review suggests that there is a difference in understanding of pastoral care practices. Therefore, the perspectives of specific groups such as Black African nurses should be explored on this issue.