# Roads to recognition: experiences of migrant women healthcare workers in Norwegian nursing homes

## TL;DR

The paper explores how migrant women in Norwegian nursing homes experience recognition and face challenges in being valued for their work.

## Contribution

The study contributes new insights into the structural and interpersonal barriers affecting migrant healthcare workers' recognition in Norway.

## Key findings

- Migrant women often face diminished professional status and limited career development despite having relevant qualifications.
- Communication barriers and lack of social integration impact their work experiences negatively.
- Structural and interpersonal challenges hinder trust-building and recognition in the workplace.

## Abstract

This article explores how female migrant healthcare workers experience recognition in Norwegian nursing homes. Norway faces a growing shortage of healthcare workers due to an ageing population, and many migrant women enter this predominantly female labour market sector.

The study employed ethnographic fieldwork guided by a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through interviews with 24 migrant women employed in two municipal nursing homes, alongside participant observation over five weeks during 2023–2024. The participants, from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and non-Scandinavian Europe, had lived in Norway for three to over 20 years. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

The first theme, Finding a Way In: Navigating Expectations, explores the challenges these women face in establishing their professional identities. Despite relevant qualifications, many experience diminished professional status, limited recognition, and restricted career development opportunities. Communication barriers and inadequate social integration also influence their daily work experiences. The second theme, Building Trust and Confidence at Work, examines trust-building through task performance and emotional engagement, highlighting that structural barriers and insufficient support hinder their development.

Structural barriers, constrained interpersonal dynamics, and the nature of care work as affective labour often led to unrecognised contributions. Addressing these challenges requires both structural reforms and a cultural shift in how care work and those who perform it are valued.