Trend in the International Labor Migration of Filipino Nurses: A Global Phenomenon

Abstract

The study is conducted to determine the magnitude of the outflow of Filipino nurses in the country; the current trends on nurse mobility; the “push” and “pull” factors compelling nurses to migrate; and the consequences of this kind of migration. The Philippines as a major exporter of nurses for the global market was also examined. Critical examinations on the other source as well as the destination countries of nurses were also included in the study. Furthermore, a perception study towards overseas employment of the 20% of 4th year nursing students in the University of the Philippines Manila and the University of Santo Tomas was also conducted and analyzed. The researcher applied the descriptive cross-sectional design and analytical design in this study. Primary and secondary data were gathered by the researcher. The primary data utilized include key informant interview with a migrant nurse and surveys among 4th year nursing students. Secondary data was also employed by the researcher. The most recent available relevant documents collected included statistical documents. news releases, and data from previous studies gathered from various institutions such as the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Nurse Association (PNA), and World Health Organization (WHO). Findings of the study show that a myriad of “push” and “pull” factors, operating at the source and destination countries respectively, compelled tens of thousands of Filipino nurses to migrate. Moreover, it is primarily for economic reason/financial security that most of our Filipino nurses seek overseas employment. There are also various negative and positive consequences behind the international migration of Filipino nurses. The positive impact can be seen on the improved economic status of migrant nurses’ families and the benefits the government derive from the labor export. On the other hand, the negative consequences of the massive outflow of nurses include brain drain, deskilling, investment loss, and could cripple the country’s health sector. Based on the study conducted, it can also be concluded that an overwhelming majority of the respondents in UPM and UST (88% or 83 respondents out of 94) have plans of working overseas after completing their nursing degree. It is recommended that a collaborative networking among various nursing institutions and schools should be done to ensure the quality of nursing education in the Philippines. There must also be strict implementation of laws and regulations on the labor migration of nurses to regulate this massive outflow, and on the opening of nursing schools. The government should also prioritize the health sector of the country, improve the working conditions of nurses, and increase their salary if the government wants to lessen this outflow of nurses, which if left uncheck could cripple the already-degraded quality of the country’s health sector.