Health Policy
Volume 107, Issue 1, 2012, Pages 44-53

Nurse migration and health workforce planning: Ireland as illustrative of international challenges (Article)

Humphries N.* , Brugha R. , McGee H.
  • a Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Division of Population Health Science, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland
  • b Head of Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Division of Population Health Sciences, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
  • c Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland

Abstract

Ireland began actively recruiting nurses internationally in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, 35% of new recruits into the health system were non-EU migrant nurses. Ireland is more heavily reliant upon international nurse recruitment than the UK, New Zealand or Australia.This paper draws on in-depth interviews (N= 21) conducted in 2007 with non-EU migrant nurses working in Ireland, a quantitative survey of non-EU migrant nurses (N= 337) conducted in 2009 and in-depth interviews conducted with key stakeholders (N= 12) in late 2009/early 2010.Available primary and secondary data indicate a fresh challenge for health workforce planning in Ireland as immigration slows and nurses (both non-EU and Irish trained) consider emigration. Successful international nurse recruitment campaigns obviated the need for health workforce planning in the short-term, however the assumption that international nurse recruitment had 'solved' the nursing shortage was short-lived and the current presumption that nurse migration (both emigration and immigration) will always 'work' for Ireland over-plays the reliability of migration as a health workforce planning tool. This article analyses Ireland's experience of international nurse recruitment 2000-2010, providing a case study which is illustrative of health workforce planning challenges faced internationally. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Author Keywords

Midwives Migrant nurses Nurse workforce planning Nurse Nurse migration Health workforce planning nursing

Index Keywords

general practice intensive care surgery Foreign Professional Personnel health care planning nurse economics health care policy Economic Recession human immigration middle aged Nurses Professional Competence interview bullying Humans Ireland Interviews as Topic male Health Manpower female professional knowledge medical education staff nurse Article working time Personnel Selection major clinical study adult migration midwife Health Planning work experience Emigration and Immigration health care system geriatric care employment elderly care health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84864829947&doi=10.1016%2fj.healthpol.2012.06.007&partnerID=40&md5=5c27496c2776b6ddd384f9bce2e29d6e
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2012.06.007
ISSN: 01688510
Cited by: 17
Original Language: English