Introduction:

Foreign-born care workers with limited native language proficiency have become a challenge for first-line managers (FLMs). The study explores FLMs’ experiences of their role of leading a multicultural and multilingual staff group in nursing homes and implementing language development initiatives.

Method:

This is an explorative descriptive study. Four focus-group discussions were held with 12 participants. Data analysis was performed in accordance with the method described for focus-group discussions.

Results:

Three categories with six subcategories were generated: Challenging to adapt leadership to multicultural environment; Challenging and stimulating to work with language development; and Challenging to bridge gaps when conditions change.

Discussion:

FLMs’ role to implement different strategies and models to promote a favorable working environment, collegial relationships, and competence development is demanding. In conclusion, FLMs need sufficient time, resources, and support to develop competence in transcultural nursing leadership to deliver culturally congruent care and implement language development initiatives in multicultural teams.