Nursing is one of the fastest-growing professions and even as we state this, many registered nursing jobs are being created around the world, particularly in developed countries. In order to fill these job positions, it is important to hire foreign-born nurses which is why international nurse migration is on the rise worldwide.
The present shortage and inequitable distribution of the healthcare workforce have led to an expansion in the international migration of healthcare workers to pursue nursing education in developed countries. The patterns of migration are in fact becoming more and more complex with the developed countries becoming more reliant on nurses from the Middle East to fill the health workforce positions.
The dependency on nurses, physicians, and medical specialists is expected to continue in the coming times and may further intensify. In this blog, we will see the trends in nurse migration from the Middle East along with how the healthcare worker shortage is playing around the world. In addition, we will also look at the mobility patterns and forces responsible for driving nurse migration from the Middle East.
Nurse Migration Trends:
The ongoing trends in nurse migration do not follow a linear growth trajectory, but it can be said that the number of nurses from the Middle East choosing to study nursing in Canada has been on a rise. The factors such as low job security, unavailability of professional benefits, and immigration policies, particularly in countries that use temporary work visas to solve labor shortages are also behind the migration.
Irrespective of an overall increase in nurse migration globally, the migration rates have consequently varied over some years and also vary strongly with the countries. Nurses from the Middle East typically migrate to lead a more liberal life, enjoy a peaceful and healthy professional environment, and get better professional benefits.
What’s more, there is an acute shortage of nurses in developed countries. This when combined with the failure to boost nurse supply domestically creates a strong incentive for recruiting more internationally educated nurses from overseas. The healthcare organizations around Canada have struggled to fill positions and have collectively spent billions of dollars on the recruitment and retention of nurses, something that causes the government to open doors to foreign nurses.
Hence, it remains to be seen that pro-immigration impulses of the present administration in charge of developed countries do well in importing the much-needed skilled nurse labor in the healthcare sector.
Growth of International Nurse Migration:
Globally, nurse mobility and other health workers come amidst the advances in international labor migration in general. Over the past few decades, an increasing number of economic migrants have sought better career opportunities, lucrative pay, and improved quality of life by pursuing employment in developed countries.
The number of nursing professionals from the Middle East have been migrating to Canada consistently. The traditional labor migration has been more concentrated in the healthcare service sector and it has often been from less developed countries to economically stable regions. The high-income countries are limited by an aging population and shrinkage of labor forces as the pull factors.
The push factors in the source countries are further responsible for driving this trend. There is the most rapid population growth and exploding youth populations in most developing countries. This when coupled with a low level of job security and strict immigration policies in some parts of the Middle East contributes to the growing pool of migrant labor.
Other than this, common development such as ease of travel and relaxation of international employment barriers also contribute to the migration of Middle East nurses to Canada. These nurses understand that they can study in some of the best nursing colleges in Canada, choose a specialization of their choice, and work hard for a career of their choice.
Global Shortage of Nurses:
Nurses and most other healthcare professionals offer highly demanded services in almost all societies and are also among the working groups that continue to migrate internationally in high numbers. Presently, there is an acute global nursing shortage of health workers that is not so likely to dissipate in the coming future.
The nursing shortage is not a new phenomenon and has plagued countries to varying degrees before. The supply and demand of nurses in Canada have fluctuated strongly in the previous years as well. The ongoing crisis appears to be a serious one and will not be solved unless efforts are not made to attract the right talent.
Nurses and midwives are among the health professionals for which demand has always outstripped the supply. Another problem is the aging of the RN workforce in many countries because of retirement. Some other factors that facilitate the global nursing shortage include:
- Reduced interest in nursing as a career and unsatisfactory numbers of nursing graduates in many countries.
- Poor working conditions in developing and underdeveloped countries lead to attrition of the nursing workforce and slashing of health budgets with inadequate funding of hospitals.
- There is also a gender bias that restricts nursing to be a female profession only while keeping many males from entering this profession in some countries.
Improved Professional Opportunities:
The developed countries are in a privileged position that allows them to balance the domestic nursing shortages with migrant nursing workers. The countries that have imported migrant nurses over the past decade include Canada, the US, the UK, etc. Canada is one of the top countries to host internationally educated nurses.
The Middle East offers decent and many times high salaries to nursing professionals. There is no denying that fact. However, other factors such as high-quality nursing education, family benefits, permanent residency scope, high job security, and professional growth opportunities are some of the other pull factors that motivate the nurses to relocate.
The demand for nurses is still high in Canada and the government thus promotes immigration programs for qualified nurses ahead of many other professions. Canada has made it easier for international students to advance their education with a nursing study in Canada and offering employment thereafter.
Other Benefits in Migration:
All across the globe, the Middle East is known for its standards of education and training in healthcare which means that the professionals from here are in high demand. In addition, the developed countries are also interested in hiring Middle Eastern nurses because English is a widely spoken language across the region.
Making the most out of this opportunity to pursue advanced nursing programs in the nursing colleges in Canada, the nurses from the Middle East should pursue these courses because of many reasons. They are:
1. Higher Payroll and Allowances: Nursing is a rising career and it is also dominated by many factors that influence a varying range of payrolls. If you are moving from the Middle East to a place like Canada, you will end up getting employed on an improved payroll.
In addition, you will get many allowances. Even though the salaries in the Middle East are pretty decent but when you compare the two countries, the benefits offered to nurses in Canada outweigh any day.
2. Work-Life Balance: Nursing can often get stressful because that is the nature of the profession. However, when it comes to factors such as job roles, autonomy, and respect, Canada is considered one of the most preferred destinations for nurses.
The professional environment for nurses in Canada is relatively different as they can take a call for their patient’s well-being which further leads to job satisfaction as well.
3. Gender Equality: Not many countries are open to hiring male nurses as there is a stigma attached to the nursing profession being only for women. This is mental block has faded in countries like Canada.
The number of male nursing students and nurses has increased considerably in Canada. This is something that has not yet been seen in the Middle East region. Canada is diverse and more of a gender-inclusive place to practice nursing.
4. Stable Economy: The choice of getting settled in a country is many times dominated by the prevailing economic conditions that prevail in that country. Canada has a large and stable economy. On the other hand, the economy of the Middle East is not so stable comparatively.
The nurses who work in the Middle East find it hard to be assured of a long-lasting job. Throughout their career span, most of the nurses in the Middle East remain fearful of losing their jobs.
Conclusion:
The present nursing shortage in developed countries such as Canada means that there are many opportunities for international nurses. The nurses who are based out of the Middle East can make use of this opportunity and pursue higher education in Canada to eventually get a secured job and lead a balanced life in the country.
