Author: Saeed Ahmad, a scholar of Master of nursing sciences at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery Karachi.
The phrase “brain drain” has captured the interest of numerous political scientists and economists since 1960. Nurses flow due to vigorous recruitment by developed countries is alarming for developing countries like Pakistan (A. Shahida, 2016). The exodus of qualified nurses (also known as the nursing brain drain) from developing to developed countries is a significant problem for public health. due to the loss of skilled, native health workers, the healthcare of these nations is deteriorating and endangering health outcomes. That is why the average life expectancy in developed nations is 10 years higher than in developed nations like Pakistan.
In Pakistan, there is a very low production of nurses, and it is getting worse with migration to other countries. The annual demand for nurses is six times higher than its production rate in general wards. The recommended nurse-to-patient ratio by Pakistan Nursing Council is 3:10 but in the current scenario, there is only one nurse for the 40 patients in general wards, which shows the severe shortage of skilled nurses we are currently facing. There is also a shortage of nursing educators in nursing schools due to the offers of high packages by developed countries (Asghar et al., 2020). The given data shows the scarcity of skilled nurses and the higher migration rate making it worse, which highly affects the patient’s health care outcomes.
The major causes of this brain drain include very low salary packages, lack of an ideal working environment and the bad public image of nurses, as the shortage of nurses is filled by non-qualified staff in most of the institutions. Moreover, the discrimination and favoritisms by nursing leaders, workplace insecurities and very limited carrier opportunities lead them to seek better opportunities abroad. In addition to these, political instabilities, lack of recognition, and lack of empowerment, as doctors make decisions on behalf of nurses, are the leading causes of migration.
To overcome this flow of nurses to the developing countries we should provide remedies for the above-given reasons. The followings are some suggestions and measures that can minimize and harness this issue.
· Providing competitive salaries, annual increments, free healthcare, educational expenses for nurse’s children, retention bonuses, housing stipends as well as scholarships for further education and professional development (Pang et al., 2002)
· Providing opportunities for carrier advancement and professional development may be more likely to compel them to stay in their home countries.
· Creating supportive policies by developing countries to support the nursing profession and promote their retention.
· Promoting the value of nursing as a profession and the critical role nurses play in healthcare settings.
· Providing safety and security at the workplace.
· Promoting awareness in the people to respect the nursing profession.
· Empowering the nurses by making them independent in decision-making.
· International organizations should intervene and devise policies for skilled migration to overcome the issue.(Pang et al., 2002)
In conclusion, the nursing brain drain from Pakistan is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. The government should prioritize investing in the healthcare sector, provide better carrier advancement opportunities, and improve working conditions for nurses. By addressing the above-mentioned issues, Pakistan can retain its skilled nursing workforce and provide quality healthcare services to its citizens.
References
A. Shahida, Y. M. (2016). Brain Drain of Nurses from Pakistan. i-manager’s Journal on Nursing. https://badge.dimensions.ai/details/id/pub.1104313011
Asghar, R. S., Firdos, U., & Ashraf, S. (2020). Managing Nursing Brain Drain from Pakistan. European Academic Research, VII, 5231-5241.
Pang, T., Lansang, M. A., & Haines, A. (2002). Brain drain and health professionals. Bmj, 324(7336), 499-500. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7336.499
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