Back to search

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Educated There, But Employed Here: The Unique Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The educational background of nurses impacts their delivery of evidence-based, safe, quality, and patient-centered care. Obtaining a master’s degree can lead to patient benefits such as decreased lengths of hospital stay, reduced mortalities, reduced hospitalization costs, reduction in total patient falls, and nurse benefits such as increased job satisfaction and critical thinking skills. Internationally educated nurses (IENs) make up five percent of the 3.9 million nursing workforce, according to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) data collected by the Bureau of Health Workforce. IENs obtain fewer master’s degrees than U.S-educated nurses, as the NSSRN data shows that 40% of IENs obtained a master’s degree, compared to 57% of US-educated nurses. This study seeks to increase an understanding of the factors that influence IENs obtaining a master’s degree in nursing. Guided by Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, I conducted secondary analyses (including logistic regression modelling) of the NSSRN dataset to examine the intrinsic, extrinsic, and key demographic factors that may influence IENs’ obtaining master’s degrees. Further, to see how these variables operate differently for US-educated versus IENs, the data was analyzed separately and compared for these two distinct populations.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy
Level thesis:degree_level
Doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Nursing
Grantor
The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York
Year dc:date.available
2022

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Onuoha, Nnenna
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Juan Battle
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Samuels Williams
  • Lynder Olender

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4706
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-5763

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
City University of New York - Graduate Center
Base URL
academicworks.cuny.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Onuoha, Nnenna. Educated There, But Employed Here: The Unique Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses. Doctoral thesis, The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York, 2022. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4706