Alessandro Stievano PhD Centre of Excellence Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi Viale Giulio Cesare 78 IT astievano @ tiscali . it Prof Dyanne Affonso Nursing Centre of Excellence Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi Rome IT daffonso @ mindspring . com Dr Nicola Barbato Nursing Tosinvest Group Rome IT nicola . barbato @ libero . it PhD Laura SabatinoNursing INAIL Rome IT laura . sabatino8 @ gmail . com PhD Gennaro Rocco Nursing Centre of Excellence Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi Rome IT genna . rocco @ gmail . com
WORKFORCE MIGRATION OF INDIAN NURSES TO ITALY
Background : Understanding the drivers of nurse migration is a priority for healthcare in Europe . In late 1990s Italy had to hire nurses from overseas to reconcile its nursing shortages . Until 2009 the majority of emigrant nurses came from other European countries . Nowadays , in the current changing scenario of transnational fluxes , the inflow of nurses to Italy is increasing from India . Aim : This study explored the lived experiences of immigrant Indian nurses in Italy , specific to their professional and social integration . Design / Method : Qualitative data was collected via in-depth interviews with a voluntary , purposive sample of 20 Indian nurses . Taped interviews were initially hand-coded line by line by the researchers , followed by grouping of units with similar significance into categories and themes . Results : Four themes emerged : ( 1 ) Quality of work experience as driving force of professional integration , ( 2 ) Intra- and inter-professional relationships as key to retention , ( 3 ) Nursing education and continuous professional development as pivotal to orientate in the workforce and also to the newly arrived country , ( 4 ) Perceptions of social integration as reinforcements of the evolving reality in the Italian setting . Discussion : Indian nurses in Italy shared how migration was meaningful in two ways : a ) provided economic privileges and b ) afforded an escape from stigma that is linked to a gender biased profession in a patriarchal society , which sometimes makes women in nursing vulnerable to abuse . Participants reported few experiences of unfair workplaces interactions with healthcare professionals in Italy . Social life was mainly linked to the Indian community .
Keywords :
European nursing flows , nursing migration , Indian nurses , Italy , transnational fluxes
Congress Topics : Globalization in Nursing : Education , Migration , Workforce
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