Talent management of international nurses in healthcare settings: A systematic review

AIM

To identify and systematically review current scholarship on talent management of international nurses in healthcare organizations.

BACKGROUND

As nurse shortages persistently pose challenges for healthcare organizations globally, one of the primary strategies employed to address these shortages is employment of international nurses. To date little has been done to systematically review and collate contemporary research on talent management of this strategically important cohort. Talent management is a holistic construct that can support healthcare organizations to attract, develop, motivate, and retain talented employees to drive organizational performance. This systematic review isolates, appraises and collates available evidence on talent management practices for international nurses.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic literature review.

DATA SOURCES

Searches of PubMed, EBSCO and Scopus were made covering literature from 2012-2022.

REVIEW METHODS

This study followed Cochrane protocol for Systematic Reviews and key search terms were developed in consultation with University of Limerick library. As a key aim of the review was to provide evidence for the development of effective talent management practices, only peer-reviewed academic papers and empirical studies were included. Initial articles screening was conducted by two reviewers and full articles review was conducted by the entire research team. Findings were combined in a data extraction template for further analysis.

RESULTS

This review includes 62 articles thematically analysed under the headings recruitment and selection, retention and turnover, career progression, professional development, discrimination and racism, culture and communication.

CONCLUSION

No articles were found that directly address talent management for international nurses. Although there are studies that address aspects of talent management independently, more research is required on talent management as a holistic process for international nurses to inform evidence-based practice.

IMPACT

This research emphasizes the importance of talent management for retention of international nurses in healthcare settings. It provides a knowledge base for healthcare organisations to enhance employee retention and ensure quality care for patients, as well as setting the foundation for future studies in this area.

An evidenced-based approach to understanding and informing talent management practices for internationally trained nurses in healthcare: A systematic review protocol

This paper details a protocol for a systematic review that will be used to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize current academic evidence relating talent management practices for internationally trained nurses in healthcare organizations. Databases used in the search will include CINAHL with full text (EBSCOhost), PubMED, PsycINFO, Embase, Business Source Complete, Academic Source Complete, Web of Science, and Medline. Searches are limited to studies in English. Based on receiving funding approval in May this review will systematically search all materials in databases up until 2022, with predetermined search terms. All studies will be screened based on specific criteria and predetermined search terms using the Boolean terminology. Risk of any bias will be considered and assessed using the checklist provided by the National Institute of Health and Clinical excellence. Two assessors will review the findings using convergence and any disagreement will be settled by a third-party reviewer. The systematic review will produce a synthesis of the data related to talent management practices for internationally trained nurses in healthcare settings, as well as outlining areas for further research. The study will be the first of its type to systematically review and synthesize talent management practices for internationally trained nurses. In particular, the findings will provide the latest, validated evidence to narrate the development talent management practices specifically in relation to the strategically important cohort of internationally trained nurses in healthcare organizations. It will also help create a pipeline of suitably qualified candidates for future roles, as well as helping internationally trained nurses identify career trajectories. By systematically gathering and analyzing the relevant research, a stakeholder informed evidence-based approach to talent management for this cohort can be informed as a way of improving the quality and safety of care to the patient.