The International Nursing Shortage

I have nurses and allied health professionals from all over the globe visiting my web site. Many fill in the forms I have placed there, seeking assistance with finding permanent and travel jobs. I am often challenged by those who are writing from developing countries. One such request came recently from a nurse in the Asia/Pacific area. Instead of looking for placement in North America, this nurse was wanting to move to another island. So in my research to locate agencies who recruit through these areas I happened across a radio broadcast from October 2004, on Asia Pacific radio station.
The headline read,
"Nurses abandon developing countries for more lucrative pastures The efforts of developing countries to build up their health systems is under serious threat from a shortage of professionals, especially nurses. Nurses from the Philippines, the Pacific and elsewhere are
leaving their homes and hospitals in increasing numbers for the greener pastures of the UK, the US, New Zealand and richer Asian nations".
This was from the 2004 Asia Pacific Nursing Congress, and the speakers were Professor James Buchan from Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh (recently involved in the
first global survey of the nursing workforce for the International Council of Nurses), Kuini Lutua (General Secretary of the Fiji Nursing Association), Pelenatete Stowers from Samoa (the Government Chief Nurse).
They were discussing their problems with the nursing shortage. Yes, it is a global problem. Many nurses from Asia and Africa, from the smaller islands as well, are leaving for "greener pastures".
They are actively recruited from developed countries who have more money to offer, plus better working conditions. I was somewhat surprised to learn nursing schools in developing countries are also faced with turning away elligible candidates.
Australia will be short 40,000 nurses by 2010. Africa's growing problem with Aids and HIV infected persons in putting huge strains on the limited nursing population, and the small islands also lose nurses to better paying jobs in developed countries.
When the radio interviewer asked what were the solutions none of the participants could offer an answer. There is work being done on an international agreement dealing with nurses (and I believe nurse recruitment) but as far as I could determine there was nothing set in stone yet.