Nativity status and workplace discrimination in registered nurses: Testing the mediating role of psychosocial work characteristics

Abstract

Aim: To examine: (a) whether nativity status was associated with workplace discrimination, and (b) whether this association was mediated through psychosocial work characteristics (job strain, job demands, and job control) among registered female nurses. Design: Cross-sectional survey with a self-report questionnaire was conducted. Methods: A random sample of 610 native Registered Nurses and a total sample of 188 foreign-born Registered Nurses working in Finland were used. Data were collected between September–November of 2017 and analysed using a counterfactual approach in the causal mediation framework. Results: After adjusting for several potential confounders, foreign-born nurses scored higher on workplace discrimination than native nurses. Approximately 20% of the association between nativity status and workplace discrimination was mediated through job control. Job demands and job strain were unlikely to mediate this association. Conclusion: The study provides further evidence that migrant status is associated with a higher risk of workplace discrimination among nurses. Lower levels of control over one's own job may partly contribute to the higher risk of workplace discrimination in foreign-born women nurses. Impact: Our study addresses the relationship between nativity status and workplace discrimination among female nurses and its mediating factors. The findings suggest that healthcare organization leaders need to be aware of the increased risk of workplace discrimination among migrant nurses. Moreover, healthcare organizations need to consider psychosocial work characteristics, including job control, in the efforts aimed to prevent and reduce discrimination against their foreign-born employees.