Being a nurse the Indian way: an exploration of the lived experiences of Indian nurses, who came to the United Kingdom (UK) for higher education studies and work

Abstract

This thesis ethnographically documents the experiences of a group of Indian nurses – predominantly Christians from Kerala and the Punjab – who came from India to the United Kingdom (UK) for higher education studies and work. Uniquely, in a field where research has so far been limited, the thesis draws on longitudinal participant observation and interviews conducted over a period of three and a half years, beginning in various locations in India – where the nurses were initially trained and recruited to overseas nursing courses – and then following them on their learning trajectory as they came to the UK and, subsequently, either returned to India, or took up nursing jobs in Britain. The thesis explores their motivations to become nurses, as well as the other factors that inform their decisions. This includes an investigation of how gender, caste and class, and religion all have an impact on the experience of being an Indian nurse in the diaspora. My research highlighted the differences – historically, as well as in the present – in what it means to be a nurse in different cultural contexts, and it also explores the impact of these differences. I show, for example, that while Hindu notions of purity and pollution have had a negative impact on how nurses are viewed within India as compared to the UK, seen through the lens of class, the opportunity to migrate and increase one’s earning potential has also enhanced the status of the Indian nurse in a globalising world. At the same time, different styles of nurse training in India, and different expectations of what a nurse should be, also have an impact on the effectiveness of their training once they come to the UK. In highlighting these differences, the thesis aims to enhance understanding among employers and educators of Indian nurses in the UK.