The contributions of internationally educated nurses are one of our under-recognised strengths in the community health and social care workforce. International colleagues possess valuable skills and expertise, multi-cultural perspectives and insights that strengthen patient-centred care and teams. The UK and many high-income countries actively recruit international nurses to meet expanding healthcare needs. 1,2 For example, healthcare services in the UK and Norway employ high proportions of people from overseas; 3,4 many internationally qualified nurses work in care homes and increasingly in the community. 1,4

But do we really value the diversity and skillset of our international workforce? Sadly, evidence suggests we do not. Many internationally educated nurses experience deskilling and loss of status when they arrive in the UK. 1,5,6 Nurses describe transitioning from highly experienced nurses in their countries of origin to providing predominantly basic care interventions, often working at unregistered nurses level, often equivalent to healthcare assistants, with limited opportunities to use their clinical expertise and progress their careers. 5,6