“I am making good money, but …”: The precarious situation of Polish nurses in Norway
| Published date | 01 April 2022 |
| Author | Elżbieta M. Goździak,Izabella Main |
| Date | 01 April 2022 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12874 |
238
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International Migration. 2022;60:238–251.
wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imig
INTRODUCTION
The Norwegi an Directorate of Lab or – Aetat – started recru iting Polish nurses in 20 01, but Polish nurses c ontin-
ued to seek empl oyment in Norway long af ter the official recru itment of foreign- born nurs es ended in 2004 (van
Riemsdijk, 2013). As citizens of the European U nion (EU), Polish nu rses are eligible to work in Nor way, but need
their cred entials verified by Norwegian au thorities. When Poland negotiated accession to th e EU, the Europea n
Commission ruled that most Polish nurses did not meet the minimum training requirements (van Riemsdijk, 2013).
Received: 4 Novem ber 2020
|
Revised: 15 March 20 21
|
Accepted: 4 May 2021
DOI: 10.1111/imig.12874
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
“I am making good money, but …”: The precarious
situation of Polish nurses in Norway
Elżbieta M. Goździak | Izabella Main
© 2021 The Author s. Internationa l Migration © 2021 IOM
Center for Migr ation Studies (CeB aM),
Adam Mickiew icz University, Pozna n,
Poland
Correspondence
Elżbieta M. G oździak, Center for Mi gration
Studies (CeBa M), Adam Mickiewic z
Universit y, Poznan, Poland.
Email: Emg27@georgetown.edu
Funding information
Research Cou ncil of Norway, Grant /Award
Number: 250427
Abstract
Precarity is defined as precario us existence, lacking in
predictabili ty, job security, material or psychological we l-
fare. In migrat ion studies, precarit y is often associated
with low wages, “illegality ” and “deportability.” Based on
field research, this article focuses on Polish nurses work-
ing in Norway. As he alth professionals and citizens of the
European Union, they do not possess the ste reotypical
characterist ics of precarious wor kers. They are neither
low skill ed or poorl y compensated nor unauthorised . Our
findings emphasise multiple s ources of Polish n urses’ pre-
carity in Poland – multiple low- wage jobs, poor life- work
balance – and in Norway – short- time a ssignments, va ri-
able worki ng hours, high levels of mobilit y and challenges
in family reunification. Precarity in Norway stemmed from
policies that left recruitment of foreign- born nurses in the
hands of private agencies acting without an oversight of
the Nor wegian Health Directorate. N orway subscribes to
the WHO ethical recruitm ent principles, but it falls short in
monitoring private re cruitment agencies.
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