Emigration of nurses from the Caribbean

A growing shortage of nurses in developed countries and emerging gaps in the public sector has led to enhanced international recruitment of nurses by developed nations from countries such as those in the Caribbean.  Push factors associated with weaknesses in the public health systems of developing countries have been a contributing factor to this out-migration. They include inadequate remuneration and benefits, unfavourable working conditions, and insufficient training and professional development. Despite increased international initiatives to control recruitment and to stop poaching from already drained countries, this has only had a temporary impact, and fast track immigration procedures have been put into place in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Source: “Migration in the Caribbean: What do we know?”, Expert Group Meeting on International Migration and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat, Mexico City, 30 November – 2 December 2005