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
7 |