Beyond the Paycheck: The Case for Culturally Competent Financial Literacy for Internationally Educated Nurses

Abstract

Background: Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) are critical to sustaining the U.S. healthcare system, yet they face a unique and precarious set of financial challenges upon arrival. Current support systems often fail to address their specific needs, offering "one-size-fits-all" financial literacy programs designed for a domestic workforce.

Problem: This generic approach overlooks the high-stakes financial realities IENs navigate. These include significant migration-related costs, predatory recruitment practices like Training Repayment Agreements (TRAPs), persistent pay gaps, and the non-discretionary cultural and economic obligations of transnational remittances.

Argument: This commentary argues that generic financial advice is not only inadequate but culturally incompetent. It fails to address the lived, transnational financial reality of IENs, who must simultaneously manage new-country debts and old-country family obligations, all while learning a new financial system.

Proposal: We call for a new paradigm: the research and development of a "Culturally-Competent Financial Literacy" (CCFL) model. This commentary proposes that such a model must be peer-led, co-designed with IENs, and provide specialized education on topics like identifying predatory contracts, building U.S. credit from zero, and managing the psycho-social pressures of remittances. This is a necessary step toward fulfilling the promise of ethical recruitment and providing genuine workforce support.