Preventive Care in Nursing and Midwifery
Volume 16, Issue 4 (10-2026)
Prev Care Nurs Midwifery 2026, 16(4): 0-0 |
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Ethics code: IR.MUMS.NURSE.REC.1404.138
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Rayyani F, Karimi Moonaghi H, Moghri J, Badiee Aval S. Factors Associated With International Nurse Migration From Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. , Prev Care Nurs Midwifery. 2026; 16 (4)
URL: http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-1080-en.html
URL: http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-1080-en.html
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. , rayyanif4023@mums.ac.ir
Abstract: (4 Views)
Background: International nurse migration from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is influenced by economic, organizational, and recruitment-related factors.
Objectives: To synthesize factors associated with international nurse migration from LMICs and identify evidence gaps.
Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest were searched for 2000–2026 publications; Google Scholar and WHO, ICN, and ILO websites were also searched. Two reviewers screened 1,048 unique records (κ = 0.84, 95% CI [0.79, 0.89]). Quality was assessed using JBI and AACODS. Findings were synthesized using directed qualitative content analysis informed by the push-pull framework.
Results: Twenty-nine reports were included (7 primary studies, 13 secondary reviews, 9 institutional/policy reports). Four of seven primary studies were from sub-Saharan Africa; South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Middle East/North Africa each contributed one. The Southeast Asian study sampled nursing students; no eligible study of practicing nurses from East Asia and the Pacific was identified. No eligible primary studies came from Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, or other unrepresented World Bank regions. Low wages/income inequality appeared in all seven primary studies; poor working conditions/high workload and limited career advancement each appeared in five. Recruitment-related factors appeared in two primary studies and four of nine institutional/policy reports. All seven primary studies assessed intention, willingness, or retrospective experiences; none prospectively measured actual migration, highlighting the intention-action gap.
Conclusion: Economic, organizational, and recruitment factors interact in shaping migration outcomes. Findings reflect thematic recurrence, not prevalence or causality; longitudinal research and broader geographical coverage are needed.
Objectives: To synthesize factors associated with international nurse migration from LMICs and identify evidence gaps.
Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest were searched for 2000–2026 publications; Google Scholar and WHO, ICN, and ILO websites were also searched. Two reviewers screened 1,048 unique records (κ = 0.84, 95% CI [0.79, 0.89]). Quality was assessed using JBI and AACODS. Findings were synthesized using directed qualitative content analysis informed by the push-pull framework.
Results: Twenty-nine reports were included (7 primary studies, 13 secondary reviews, 9 institutional/policy reports). Four of seven primary studies were from sub-Saharan Africa; South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Middle East/North Africa each contributed one. The Southeast Asian study sampled nursing students; no eligible study of practicing nurses from East Asia and the Pacific was identified. No eligible primary studies came from Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, or other unrepresented World Bank regions. Low wages/income inequality appeared in all seven primary studies; poor working conditions/high workload and limited career advancement each appeared in five. Recruitment-related factors appeared in two primary studies and four of nine institutional/policy reports. All seven primary studies assessed intention, willingness, or retrospective experiences; none prospectively measured actual migration, highlighting the intention-action gap.
Conclusion: Economic, organizational, and recruitment factors interact in shaping migration outcomes. Findings reflect thematic recurrence, not prevalence or causality; longitudinal research and broader geographical coverage are needed.
Keywords: Emigration and Immigration, Nurses, Developing Countries, Personnel Turnover, Health Workforce, Health Policy.
Type of Study: Review Articels |
Subject:
Nursing
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