Highly skilled migrants in Sweden are at risk of exclusion from professions commensurate with their qualifications, particularly in regulated fields like nursing. In response, national policies and programmes have been introduced to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications and support the integration of skilled migrants. This paper explores how the competencies of internationally educated nurses (IENs) are constructed within bridging programmes, where professional regulators function as gatekeepers to professional re-entry. Drawing on the concept of a ‘regime of skill’, the study employs a qualitative approach to examine how university educators, administrators and supervisors in clinical training define and evaluate migrant competencies and how such constructions may enable or constrain the professional inclusion of IENs in the Swedish health care system. The analysis identifies two dominant constructions of skill and competency: IENs as an untapped resource and IENs as linguistically and professionally deficient. Both constructions position IENs as ‘others’, contrasting them with Swedish-trained nurses and reinforcing boundaries around professional belonging, albeit not exclusively through exclusionary practices. This paper argues for the importance of examining sector-specific skill regimes to better understand migrant inclusion or exclusion into the labour market. 

Organisational governance and discretionary decision-making are central themes in research on both welfare professionals and street level bureaucrats. This paper suggests that it is fruitful to turn the analytic focus in such research from governance vs discretion to how discretionary-decision making is controlled, by elaborating existing analyses of mechanisms for controlling the behaviour and discretion of professionals and frontline bureaucrats. The aim is to understand how discretionary decision-making is controlled by analysing frontline decision-making in four different cases from the Swedish context: dentists, teachers, and case officers in both the Swedish Migration Agency and the Swedish Enforcement Authority. The paper thereby contributes to the research field in two ways. One contribution is to present an empirically comparative study in a field in which research tends to be focused on only one professional group, or a single organisational context or “policy domain”, such as social work, education, healthcare or public bureaucracy. The second contribution is the attempt to refocus the understanding of discretionary decision-making by going beyond the top-down vs bottom-up understanding of discretion as a question of restrictions vs freedom and instead approach the issue from the concept of control. Thereby, we want to highlight that discretionary decision-making is never “uncontrolled” (or “free”) but always embedded in several of mechanisms and processes of control at system-, organisational- and interaction levels. 

Asylum decision-making has been described as occurring under conditions of radical uncertainty, shaped by ambiguous legal categories, limited documentation, and the need to predict potential risks if an applicant is returned. These uncertainties create considerable room for discretion among caseworkers. Yet, rather than being exercised by isolated individuals, decision-making at the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) is organized as a collective process involving two professional roles: the caseworker and the decision-maker. While the decision-maker formally signs the decision, both roles are deeply involved in shaping its outcome through ongoing interaction and exchange. Based on data from interviews with caseworkers and decision-makers at the SMA and various documents, this paper explores how discretion is enacted, negotiated, and controlled in practice. The analysis shows how discretion is organized in “professional” collaboration which both enables and constrains decision-making through shared norms, routines, and peer influence. By analyzing the organized practices and interactions through which asylum decisions are made, the paper contributes empirical and theoretical insight into how discretion operates under uncertainty in the Swedish asylum system.

I studier av ”beslut” ligger fokus inte sällan på beslutsfattaren (t.ex. professionellautövare, chefer, frontlinjebyråkrater) eller på själva beslutsprocessessen (information-”val av alternativ/beslut”- verkställande). Mer sällan fokuseras, i sociologiska studier avprofessioner eller organisationer, själva beslutet som sådant. Vad ett beslut är tas heltenkelt ofta för givet. Denna studie är därför ett försök att utforska vad somkaraktäriserar ett beslut, med syftet att på empiriskt grund föreslå en teoretiskkonstruktion av beslut. Det empiriska materialet består av 50-talet kvalitativa intervjuermed yrkesutövare som ägnar sig åt ”välfärdsprofessionellt beslutsfattande” (lärare,handläggare och tandläkare). I detta material fokuseras utsagor som rör beslutet somsådant (typ av beslut, beslutsgrund). För att analytiskt konstruera ”beslut”, inspireras viav Luhmanns formanalys vilken är lämplig vid definition av begrepp och för att fångaunderliggande betydelser. För att klargöra ”det betecknade” (beslutet som ”thesignified”), behöver vi identifiera och skilja ut ”det som betecknar” (”the signifiers”). Vifrågar oss exempelvis: Vilket/vilka är beslutets möjlighetsbetingelser? Vad måste finnasför att vi ska kunna kalla något ett beslut? Vilka är ”the signifyers” för ett beslut fattat avvälfärdsprofessionella? I studien kommer vi även att diskutera tidigare teoretiseringarav beslut som återfinns inom managementlitteratur och organisationssociologi.

Background Nurse migration impacts global healthcare, which has a shortage of nurses, as many nurses move from lower-income to higher-income countries for better opportunities, working conditions, and salaries. Internationally educated nurses (IENs) have often been seen as a crucial solution to this issue. However, policies and regulations have been set in place to protect the public, including the recertification process and training to ensure educational comparability and competence. IENs' contributions to the nursing workforce are significant, underscoring the importance of these policies and regulations. Aim The aim was to describe the demographic and social characteristics of IENs who had completed recertification for nurses' licenses in Sweden and to compare these characteristics among those who completed recertification through the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) or bridging programs. Methods A cross-sectional design using a survey and 818 questionnaires was sent to IENs with an identified postal address who had undergone the recertification process in Sweden. Of them, 296 (38%) were completed. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Fischer's exact tests, and independent sample t-tests. Results Most IENs who had participated in a bridging program were women, commonly aged between 31 and 40 years of age who had immigrated mainly from Asian or Middle Eastern countries for family-related reasons. The average time to obtain a nursing license was 5.9 years, starting from the year they immigrated until recertification. IENs who received recertification by the NBHW were significantly younger (p < .001), had been in Sweden for a shorter time (p < .001), and the time to license was shorter (p < .001). Significant differences were also shown for origin (p < .001) and reason for immigration (p < .001). Conclusions The findings can be used by decision-makers and authorities when developing higher education strategies for legalization and immigration policy to contribute to IENs' career advancement opportunities.

This paper explores how newly arrived migrant students (NAMS) imagine their future educational trajectories and how these anticipations may shape their actions in the present, i.e. while attending introductory education in Sweden. Theoretically our study is situated in interpretive sociology and sociology of time, particularly in the cognitive dimensions of projectivity, proposed by Mische (2009). Empirically we draw on a qualitative interview study with 36 NAMS aged 16-19. Two primary trajectories are identified: untroubled trajectory, characterized by long-term planning, expanding opportunities, and active agency; and uncertain trajectory, marked by a short-term focus, lack of knowledge about the educational system, and a passive stance toward the future. These primary trajectories are further divided into three subtrajectories with distinct properties. Untroubled trajectories are linked to opportunities, while uncertain trajectories reflect precarity and disadvantages. These findings refine previous research on NAMS's educational experiences and interpretations of their educational prospects. The paper also suggests that this conceptual and analytical framework contributes to a broader understanding of how imagined futures shape actions across different life stages and ages. These findings have relevance beyond the educational context, offering insights into how migrants and other people navigate transitions, such as between life phases, in career planning, or when approaching retirement.

The sociology of imagined futures is a growing field of research with a need for empirical as well as theoretical exploration. Theoretically, our article is situated in interpretive sociology and sociology of time, theorising on how future orientation may shape actions and agency in the present. Our analysis is grounded in cognitive dimensions of projectivity to identify variations in imagined educational trajectories. Empirically, we build on a qualitative interview study with newly arrived migrant students between 16 and 19 years old. Two primary trajectories are discerned: untroubled trajectory, characterised by long-term planning, expanding opportunities, and active agency; and uncertain trajectory, marked by a short-term focus, lack of knowledge about the educational system, and a passive stance toward the future. These primary trajectories are further divided into three subtrajectories with distinct properties. The analysis extends the theoretical framework by proposing 'plausibility' as an additional cognitive dimension of projectivity. The study demonstrates how projected future trajectories shape students' present actions, revealing that untroubled trajectories are linked to opportunities, while uncertain trajectories are associated with disadvantages, thereby refining previous research on NAMS's educational experiences and interpretations of their educational prospects.

Background To aid in the recertification and integration process of internationally educated nurses (IENs), many countries have organized bridging programs to provide support and education and align their knowledge and competence with local requirements. The importance and relevance of these programs for IENs are highlighted in related research. However, the experiences of university teachers, supervisors in clinical placement, and administrators organizing these programs are scarcely explored. The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of professional educators engaged in bridging programs at two universities in Sweden. 

Methods A descriptive qualitative approach was employed. The data were collected between December 2021 and March 2023 through semi-structured interviews with 15 educators involved in bridging programs at two universities in Sweden. The participants included university teachers, administrators, and supervisors in clinical placement. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. 

Findings The thematic analysis identified two main themes: (1) teaching a heterogeneous group of students and (2) organizational constraints of bridging programs. In relation to the first main theme, three subthemes were identified: educational and professional heterogeneity of IENs, varying language competencies of IENs and finding new approaches to teaching IENs. For the second main theme, three sub-themes were identified: compressed time in bridging programs, lack of resources for a time-consuming education and bridging programs as competition for resources. 

Conclusions This study contributes to the understanding of the challenges associated with the recertification process of IENs through bridging programs from the perspective of educators. The findings highlight that educating a heterogeneous group of students, such as internationally educated nurses with differences in professional experience, knowledge and local language competencies, is time-consuming. Educators need to learn about the level of knowledge of the student group and individual learning needs and adapt the instructions accordingly, which is constrained by the organization of the programs. The findings also indicate that educators can find ways to mitigate these challenges and adapt their instructions to meet the needs of students. Therefore, it is important to allocate time and resources to running bridging programs and to support the cooperation and exchange of information between universities and clinics. We also suggest the need to increase the competency level of educators on how to support learning through a second language and enhancing collaboration with language instructors to ensure high-quality education for IENs. 

The decision-making process in asylum claims at the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) is a ‘two-party decision’, involving two distinct professional roles – the case worker who processes the case, and the decision-maker who is ultimately responsible for approving or rejecting the claim. While research on decision-making in asylum claims suggests that professionals have a relatively generous discretionary space, the work is shaped by uncertainty, ethical dilemmas, and ongoing legal and organizational changes. Adding to that list, the SMA has intensified its emphasis on digitalization measures to increase administrative effectiveness, shorten the time of admission processes and enhance legal certainty in case administration. This study explores the welfare professional decision-making balancing act between discretion and 'programming' through a qualitative study with SMA case workers and decision-makers. The study draws upon semi-structured interviews, central work-related documents, and contextual inquiry, i.e., case workers showcase their work processes by interacting with digital system interfaces. Preliminary findings reveal that, with very few exceptions, consensus predominantly shapes asylum case outcomes. This indicates firstly that discretion in asylum decision-making is not an individual endeavor, as assumed in much literature on street-level bureaucracy but must be understood as produced in professional interaction and negotiation. Secondly, this also directs attention to the regularities in professional decision-making, rather than the divergences. The analysis unveils how the daily work of welfare professional decision-making is organized, and how it is shaped by collegial negotiations, legal principles, and digital systems, thus contributing with a nuanced account of welfare professional discretionary practices.