Nurses migration, deployment, enrollment and board passing trends in the Philippines(1999-2008)

ABSTRACT

Over the years, trends in international nurse migration and deployment as growth strategy have tremendous increased, resulting in the poliferation of nursing school, and remarkable increase in student enrolment in the nursing program. This is telling indicator that migration has woven its way into the educational and work aspiration of Filipinos. This study thus aims to investigate the migration and deployment trends in Filipino nurses, trends growth in the number of nursing schools, increase of enrolment and board passing rates; and phenomenon. Using the historical method of inquiry, data and information were gathered retrospectively from five (5) participating agencies, namely CFO, POEA, CHED, PRC, and DOLE. The empirical data were then transcribed and subjected to analytical procedures, using the exponential time series analysis. The study revealed that the dominant destination country for permanent migration, that is for Filipino migrant nurses, is the USA; and deployment of nurses, that is for temporary migration, is the Saudi Arabia. Thus, the rise and fall of overall migration and deployment is largely dictated by the demand of USA with more permissive law for permanent migration; whereas, migration to other countries has a very insignificant effect on overall Filipino nurse migration. There is general decreasing trend in overall migration and deployment. Although deployment trend to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries is significantly increasing, deployment to the United Kingdom and Ireland is decreasing; hence overall migration cannot be predicted. In general, it cannot significantly claimed that overall migration and deployment is increasing. With this scenario, nursing education with increasing enrolment and number of nursing schools coupled with decreasing board passing rate must be reassessed in the light of migration and deployment as a growth strategy.