Institutionalized disadvantage: older Ghanaian nurses’ and midwives’ reflections on career progression and stagnation in the NHS

Aims and objectives.  This paper explores the perceptions of career progression in the NHS of a group of midwives and nurses trained in Ghana and working in the UK. It draws on semi‐structured interviews with nurses, midwives and managers which were conducted as part of the Researching Equal Opportunities for Overseas trained Health Professionals project (REOH). Background.  Research into overseas nurses in the UK has tended to focus on their experiences of discrimination in relationships with colleagues, managers and patients. There is limited statistical evidence indicating that migrant nurses experience slower career progression than their UK‐trained counterparts. However, there is little analysis of their experiences and perceptions of the process of career progression or their understandings of the factors that could account for their limited entry into higher grades. Conclusions.  This paper argues that many Ghanaian nurses and midwives can experience difficulty in progressing into senior positions because of cultural differences and gaps in knowledge. However, this paper indicates that these problems can become institutionalized and entrenched by practices on the ward, particularly support from managers being dispensed as patronage that is not given equally to all. This creates an informal system of promotion to management which is not transparent, is based on subjective and culturally specific criteria and can undermine egalitarian formal procedures and create spaces where discriminatory practices can operate. Relevance to clinical practice.  These processes can lead to sectors of the workforce becoming demoralized, to the wastage of skills and other resources and problems in staff retention.