ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

The costs and benefits of nurse migration on families: A Lesotho experience

 

 

Matsola E. Ntlale; Sinegugu E. Duma

Division of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Correspondence

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

The present day migration of nurses from developing countries, to more developed countries, depletes these countries of this vital human resource, which is necessary to provide optimum quality nursing care to their populations. If nurse migration persists, the health systems of these countries face collapse.
It is important that a nurse understands the costs and benefits of migration to their families, whom they leave behind. This is not only to curb the problems that may occur, but to help the migrant nurses to realise how migration affects their families, especially their children and spouses, before they decide to leave their home countries to work in foreign lands.
The purpose of this study, which was exploratory, descriptive and qualitative, was to investigate and describe the experiences of family members, of migrant nurses, from the Maseru district of Lesotho, about the costs and benefits of nurse migration. The objectives were to explore and describe the disadvantageous costs and the benefits gained by the families of migrant nurses. These were explored through the research question 'What are the experiences of family members of migrating nurses with regard to the costs and benefits of nurse migration?'
The target population of the study was families of migrant nurses from Lesotho. Using purposive sampling the families of two migrant nurses, who were colleagues of the researcher, were identified and approached to participate in the study. Snowball sampling was next utilised to recruit the remainder of the participants. In total, six families were identified and included in the study.
The semi-structured interviews and field notes were the two data collection methods that were implemented. The Giorgi's (1970) steps for data analysis, as outlined in (Burns & Grove 2001:610), were followed and seven themes were discovered as findings. The themes that relate to the costs of nurse migration are: emotional instability, weaker family connections and increased responsibility. The themes that relate to the benefits of nurse migration for their families are: better household income, improved quality of life, essential skills development and travelling opportunities.
The use of communication technology is recommended to increase contact across borders in order to reduce the emotional costs of nurse migration on the families of migrant nurses. The article provides a balanced view of the costs and benefits of nurse migration on their families.

---

 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

References

Baldassar, L., 2007, 'Transnational Families and the provision of moral and emotional support: The relationship between truth and distance', Identities 14 (4), 385-409, viewed 22 November 2007, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10702890701578423.         [ Links ]

Baven, S., 2005, 'Britain accused of ignoring Nurse-recruitment ban', The Lancet 366 (9501), 1915-1916. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67772-0.         [ Links ]

Blerk, L.V. & Ansel, N., 2006, 'Imagining Migration: Placing children's understanding of 'moving house' in Malawi and Lesotho', Elsevier 37, 256-272.         [ Links ]

Brink, H., 2003, Research Methodology for Healthcare Professionals, Juta & Co. Ltd, Cape Town.         [ Links ]

Brummer, D., 2002, Labour Migration and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, International Organizational of Migration Report, Regional Office for Southern Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.         [ Links ]

Buchan, J., 2006, 'The Impact of Global Nursing Migration on Health service Delivery', Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice 7 (3), 16-25, viewed 03 march 2007, from http://ppn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/3_supl/16s        [ Links ]

Burns, N. & Grove, S.K., 2001, The Practice of Nursing Research, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

Cabada, M.M., Maldonado, F., Bauer, I., Verdonck, K., seas, C., & Gotuzzo., 2007. Sexual behaviour, knowledge of STI prevention, and prevalence of serum markers for STI among tour guides in Cuzco, Peru, Journal of Traveli Medicine 14 (3), 151- 7.         [ Links ]

Carballo, M. & Mboup, M., 2005, International migration and health, A paper prepared for the Policy Analysis and Research Programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, viewed 12 December 2007, from http://www.gcim.org/attachements/TP13.pdf        [ Links ]

Chikanda, A., 2005, 'Nurse Migration from Zimbabwe: analysis of recent trends and impacts', Nursing Inquiry 12(3), 162-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1800.2005.00273.x, PMid:16083467        [ Links ]

Chikanda, A., 2006, 'Skilled Health Professionals' Migration and its impact on the Health Delivery in Zimbabwe', Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 32(4), 667-680. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691830600610064        [ Links ]

Clemens, M. & Petterson, G., 2006, A New Database of Health professional Emigration from Africa, Centre for Global Development, USA.         [ Links ]

Cobbe, J., 2004, Lesotho: Will Enclave Empty?, viewed 04 March 2007, viewed 3 March 2007, from http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profile/display.cfm?ID=248        [ Links ]

Connel, C., Zurn, P., Stilwell, B., Awases, M. & Braichet, J., 2007, 'Sub-Saharan Africa, Beyond the health worker migration crisis?' Social science & Medicine 64, 1876-1891. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j~.socscimed.2006.12.013        [ Links ]

De Vos, A.S., 1998, Research at Grass Root, Van Schaik Publishers, Pretoria.         [ Links ]

Duma, S.E., 2006, Women's Journey from Sexual Assault to Recovery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.         [ Links ]

Ehlers, V.J., Oosthuizen, M.J., Bezuidenhout, M.C., Monareng, L.V. & Jooste, K., 2003, 'Post-Basic Nursing Students' Perception of the emigration of Nurses from the Republic of South Africa', Health SA Gesondheid 8(4), 24-37.         [ Links ]

Episcopal Commission For The Pastoral Care Of Migrant And Itinerant People-CBCP/ Apostleship Of Sea-Manila, Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) And Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, 2003,, Filipino Families in Motion, viewed 12 November 2007, from http://www.smc.org.ph/heartsapert/pdfs/Hearts%20Apart.pdf        [ Links ]

International Council of Nurses, 1999a, Ethical nurse recruitment, Position statement, Geneva, viewed 17 March 2007, from http://www.icn.ch/psrecruit01.htm        [ Links ]

Kingma, M., 2001, 'Nursing Migration: Global Treasure Hunt or Disaster in-the-Making?', Nursing Inquiry 8(4), 205-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j~.1440-1800.2001.00116.x, PMid:11844042        [ Links ]

Kingma, M., 2007, 'Nurses on the move: A Global Overview', Health Research & Education Trust 14(3), 1281-1298.         [ Links ]

Kline, D., 2003, 'Push and Pull Factors in international nurse Migration', Journal of Nursing Scholarship 35(2), 107-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2003.00107.x, PMid:12854289        [ Links ]

Magis-Rodriquez, C., Cayet, C., Negroni, M., Leyva, R., Bravo-Garcia, E., Uribe, P. & Bronfman, M., 2004, 'Migration and AIDS in Mexico: An Overview Based on Recent Evidence', Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 37, suppl. 4(1), pp. s215-226.         [ Links ]

Marilyn, F., Lorenzo, E., Galvez-Tan, J., Icamina, K. & Javier, L., 2007, 'Nurse Migration from a source Country Perspective: Philippines Country Case Study', Health Source Research and education Trust 42(3), 1406-1418.         [ Links ]

Medecins Sans Frontieres, 2007, Confronting health Care Workers Crisis to expand access to HIV/AIDS treatment: MSF experience in Africa, A testing challenge: The experience of Lesotho's universal HIVcouseling and testing campaign, Human Rights Watch, New York, USA.         [ Links ]

Moran, A., Narrow, S. & Butter, A., 2005, 'There is no place like home': A pilot study of perspectives of international health and social care professionals working in the U.K', BioMed central 2, 2-25.         [ Links ]

Murray, R.B. & Zentner, J.P. 1989, Nursing Assessment & Health Promotion Strategies through the Life Span, Appleton & Lange, California.         [ Links ]

Neumann, W.L. , 1997, Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.         [ Links ]

Ogilvie, L., Mill, E., Astle, B., Fanning, A. & Opare, M., 2007, 'The exodus of health professional migration from Sub-Saharan Africa: Balancing human rights and societal needs in the twenty-first Century', Nursing Inquiry 14 (2), 114-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1800.2007.00358.x, PMid:17518823        [ Links ]

Oosthuizen, M.J., Ehlers, V.J. & Jooste, K., 2005, 'The Role played by Recruitment Agencies in the Emigration of South African Nurses', Health SA Gesondheid 10(3), 57-67.         [ Links ]

Parrenas, R., 2005, 'Long distance intimacy: class, gender, and intergenerational relations between mothers and children in Filipino transnational families', Global Networks 5(4), 317-336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0374.2005.00122.x        [ Links ]

Polit, D.F. & Hungler, B.P., 1994, Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, appraisal and Utilization, J.B. Lippinocott Company, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

Polit, D.F. Beck, C,t, & Hungler, B.P., 2001, Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, appraisal and Utilization, J.B. Lippinocott Company, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

Ross, S.T., Polsky, D. & Sochalski, J., 2005, 'Nursing shortage and International nurse migration', The International of Nurses Review 52, 253-262.         [ Links ]

Starbuck, G.H., 2002, Families in Context, Wardsworth Thompson Learning, Singapore.         [ Links ]

Stockdale, A., 2007, 'Out-Migration from Rural Scotland: The Importance of Family and Social Networks', Blackwell Publishers 42(1), pp 1-24.         [ Links ]

Struebert, J.H. & Carpenter, D.R., 1999, Qualitative Research in Nursing: Advancing the Humanistic Interpretive, Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

The World Health Organisation Report, 2006, Managing the exits from the Workforce, viewed, 06 March 2007, from http://www.who.int/whr/2006/06_chap5_en.pdf        [ Links ]

Thupayagale-Thsewneagae, G, 2007, 'Migration of nurses: Is there any option?' International Nursing Review 54, 107-109.         [ Links ]

Troy, P.H., Wyness, L. & McAuliffe, E., 2007, 'Nurses' experience of recruitment and migration from developing countries: a phenomenological approach', Human Resources for Health 5 (1), 5-15, from http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/5/1/15        [ Links ]

 

 

Correspondence:
Sinegugu Duma
F45, Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital
Observatory, 7295, South Africa
Email:Sinegugu.Duma@uct.ac.za

Received: 04 July 2011
Accepted: 01 Dec. 2011
Published: 22 Feb. 2012