skip to main content

Migration Intentions, Practice Environment, and Satisfaction among Nigerian Nurses: A Case Study

*Matthew Idowu Olatubi orcid  -  Department of Nursing Science, Bowen University, Nigeria
Ifeoluwa Elizabeth Alao  -  Department of Nursing Science, Bowen University, Nigeria
Mofiyinfoluwa Deborah Fagbenle  -  Department of Nursing Science, Bowen University, Nigeria
Grace Oluwaranti Ademuyiwa  -  Department of Nursing Science, Bowen University, Nigeria
Funmilola Adenike Faremi  -  Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
Cecilia Bukola Bello  -  Department of Nursing Science, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria
Open Access Copyright (c) 2024 by the Authors, Published by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract

Background: Nursing workforce migration is a function of the nursing practice environment and satisfaction with the general situation of their country of practice. There is a need to provide empirical data on the intent to migrate among nurses and satisfaction with the working environment in Nigeria.  

Purpose: This study aimed to assess migration intention, favorability of practice environment, and level of satisfaction with the Nigerian environment among nurses in a private teaching hospital in Nigeria.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited participants using a simple random sampling technique. In all, 124 nurses participated in the study. Data were collected using the migration intention questionnaire, nursing practice environment scale, and satisfaction with Nigeria environment questionnaire. All ethical principles were adhered to. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

Results: An overwhelming majority (95.2%) had the intention to migrate to other countries, with 63.6% of them having already been in the migration process. Canada (34.8%) and the United Kingdom (33.9%) were the most sought-after countries. Nurse manager ability, leadership, and support scored highest on the favourability of the nursing practice environment (M=2.92, SD=0.80), while staffing and resources inadequacy had the lowest score (M=2.63, SD=0.68). Overall, 75.8% of the nurses described their practice environment as favourable. Political conflicts and wars were the most dissatisfying areas of Nigeria’s environment. Overall, the majority (61.3%) of nurses were dissatisfied with the Nigerian environment.

Conclusion: The majority of the nurses participating in the study were planning to migrate to another country and were not satisfied with Nigeria’s environment. The nurses claimed that their practice environment was unfavourable. There is a need to make the nursing practice environment more favorable to the nurses.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Intention; migration; nursing practice environment; satisfaction

Article Metrics:

  1. Abuja, J. E. (2024). Over 42,000 Nigerian nurses migrated abroad in the last three years–NMCN. Vanguard Newspaper. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/02/over-42000-nigerian-nurses-migrated-abroad-in-last-three-years-nmcn/
  2. Adeniran, A., Oluwole, E. O., & Ojo, O. Y. (2021). Job satisfaction and intention of primary healthcare workers to leave: A cross-sectional study in a local government area in Lagos, Nigeria. Global Journal of Health Science, 13(4), 138–149. https://doi.org/ 10.5539/gjhs.v13n4p138
  3. Akinwale, O. E., & George, O. J. (2020). Work environment and job satisfaction among nurses in government tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Rajagiri Management Journal, 14(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAMJ-01-2020-0002
  4. Akinwumi, A. F., Solomon, O. O., Ajayi, P. O., Ogunleye, T. S., Ilesanmi, O. A., & Ajayi, A. O. (2022). Prevalence and pattern of migration intention of doctors undergoing training programmes in public tertiary hospitals in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Human Resources for Health, 20(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-022-00772-7
  5. Akinyemi, B., George, B., & Ogundele, A. (2022). Relationship between job satisfaction, pay, affective commitment and turnover intention among registered nurses in Nigeria. Global Journal of Health Science, 14(2), 37–51. https://doi.org/ 10.5539/gjhs.v14n2p37
  6. Al Zamel, L. G., Lim Abdullah, K., Chan, C. M., & Piaw, C. Y. (2020). Factors influencing nurses’ intention to leave and intention to stay: An integrative review. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 32(4), 218-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822320931363
  7. Ayalew, F., Kols, A., Kim, Y.-M., Schuster, A., Emerson, M., van Roosmalen, J., Stekelenburg, J., Woldemariam, D., & Gibson, H. (2015). Factors affecting turnover intention among nurses in Ethiopia. World Health & Population, 16(2), 62–74. https://doi.org/10.12927/WHP.2016.24491
  8. Boucher, A. K. (2019). How “skill” definition affects the diversity of skilled immigration policies. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 46(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2018.1561063
  9. Buchan, J., Catton, H., Shaffer, F.A. (2022). Sustain and retain in 2022 and beyond: The global nursing workforce and the Covid-19 pandemic. International Centre on Nurse Migration. https://www.icn.ch/resources/publications-and-reports/sustain-and-retain-2022-and-beyond
  10. Chen, H., Li, G., Li, M., Lyu, L., & Zhang, T. (2018). A cross-sectional study on nurse turnover intention and influencing factors in Jiangsu Province, China. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(4), 396–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJNSS.2018.09.012
  11. Chiamaka, O., Chimereze, C., & Okafor, C. J. (2020). Brain drain among Nigerian nurses: Implications to the migrating nurse and the home country. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), 7(1), 15–21
  12. Davda, L. S., Gallagher, J. E., & Radford, D. R. (2018a). Migration motives and integration of international human resources of health in the United Kingdom: Systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies using framework analysis. Human Resources for Health, 16(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12960-018-0293-9
  13. Fagite, D. D. (2018). Nigerian nurses on the run: Increasing the diaspora and decreasing concentration. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 12(2), 108–120
  14. Faremi, F. A., Olatubi, M. I., Adeniyi, K. G., & Salau, O. R. (2019). Assessment of occupational related stress among nurses in two selected hospitals in a City Southwestern Nigeria. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 10(2019), 68–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2019.01.008
  15. Goštautaitė, B., Bučiūnienė, I., Milašauskienė, Ž., Bareikis, K., Bertašiūtė, E., & Mikelionienė, G. (2018). Migration intentions of Lithuanian physicians, nurses, residents and medical students. Health Policy, 122(10), 1126–1131. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.HEALTHPOL.2018.07.001
  16. IBM Corp. (2011). IBM SPSS statistics for windows (Version 20.0). IBM Corp
  17. Ipole, P. A. (2018). Labour migration among skilled workers: A sociological analysis of existing working conditions in Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 23(7), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2307083542
  18. Juanamasta, G., Aungsuroch, Y., Fisher, M. L., Nursalam (2023). Reliability and validity of the Indonesian version of the mccloskey/mueller satisfaction scale. Journal of Nursing Management, 2023, 9999650. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9999650
  19. Kamta, F.N., Schilling, J., & Scheffran, J. (2020). Insecurity, resource scarcity, and migration to camps of internally displaced persons in Northeast Nigeria. Sustainability, 12(17), 6830. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176830
  20. Labrague, L. J., McEnroe–Petitte, D. M., Tsaras, K., Cruz, J. P., Colet, P. C., & Gloe, D. S. (2018). Organizational commitment and turnover intention among rural nurses in the Philippines: Implications for nursing management. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(4), 403–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJNSS.2018.09.001
  21. Lee, S. E., Dahinten, S. V., & MacPhee, M. (2016). Psychometric evaluation of the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale. Japan Journal of Nursing Science: JJNS, 13(4), 487–495. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12128
  22. Nnah, M. M. (2020). Relationship between nurse job satisfaction variables and voluntary turnover intention (9789) [Dissertation, Walden University]. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9789
  23. Ojo, T. O., Oladejo, B. P., Afolabi, B. K., Osungbade, A. D., Anyanwu, P. C., & Shaibu-Ekha, I. (2023). Why move abroad? Factors influencing migration intentions of final year students of health-related disciplines in Nigeria. BMC Medical Education, 23, 742. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04683-6
  24. Okojie, L. I., & Ahmad, B. A-Q. (2022). Impact of armed banditry on health care delivery in Anka local government area of Zamfara State. Gusau International Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(3), 22-42
  25. Olatubi, M. I., & Ogunfowokan, A. A. (2020). Relationship between work-related stress, resilience, and job performances of clinical nurses: A preliminary study [abstract presentation]. Sigma’s Virtual 31st International Nursing Research Congress, Abstract #104165. https://sigma.nursingrepository.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6ace78e6-2336-4730-916c-9a36d20c1bab/content
  26. Olatubi, M. I., Olayinka, O., Oyediran, O. O., Ademuyiwa, G. O., & Dosunmu, T. O. (2022). Perceived stress, sexual and marital satisfaction among married healthcare workers in Nigeria. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 12(3), 367–379. https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v12i3.48477
  27. Olorunfemi, O., Agbo, D. I., Olorunfemi, O. M., & Okupapat, E. O. (2020). Impact of the emigration of nurses on health care delivery system in selected hospitals, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria. Journal of Integrative Nursing, 2(3), 110–115. https://doi.org/10.4103/JIN.JIN_42_20
  28. Oyediran, O. O., Oloyede, O. R., Ayandiran, E. O., Olatubi, M. I., & Faremi, F. A. (2022). Occupational stress and perceived quality of life among clinical nurses: A cross-sectional study in a Nigerian State. International Journal of Occupational Health and Public Health Nursing, 8(1), 2053–2377. https://doi.org/10.47260/johphn/811
  29. Premium Times Nigeria (2022). Brain drain: Like doctors, Nigerian nurses are also migrating, many to the UK. Premium Times Nigeria. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/561929-brain-drain-like-doctors-nigerian-nurses-are-also-migrating-many-to-uk.html?tztc=1
  30. Poku, C. A., Donkor, E., & Naab, F. (2022). Impacts of nursing work environment on turnover intentions: The mediating role of burnout in Ghana. Nursing Research and Practice, 2022(1310508), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1310508
  31. Raji, A. A., Akowe, J., Joel, T., & Attah, E. Y. (2018). The effect of brain drain on the economic development of developing countries: Evidence from selected African countries. Journal of Health and Social Issues (JOHESI), 7(2), 66–76
  32. Sani, N., Ikwuka, D. C., Muhammed, A. A., & Musa, M. S. (2024). Effects of banditry on primary health care delivery in north-western Nigeria. Global Biosecurity, 6(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.225
  33. Thompson, M., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2018). International nurse migration from India and the Philippines: The challenge of meeting the sustainable development goals in training, orderly migration and healthcare worker retention. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45(14), 2583–2599. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1456748
  34. Tolu-Kolawole, D. (2022). 7,256 Nigerian nurses left for UK in one year. The PUNCH. https://punchng.com/7256-nigerian-nurses-left-for-uk-in-one-year-report/
  35. Yakubu, K., Blacklock, C., Adebayo, K. O., Peiris, D., Joshi, R., & Mondal, S. (2023). Social networks and skilled health worker migration in Nigeria: An ego network analysis. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 38(2), 457–472. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3595
  36. Yamane, T. (1973). Statistics: An introductory analysis (3rd Edition). Harper and Row
  37. Zheng, Z., Gangaram, P., Xie, H., Chua, S., Ong, S. B. C., & Koh, S. E. (2017). Job satisfaction and resilience in psychiatric nurses: A Study at the institute of mental health, Singapore. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 26(6), 612–619. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12286

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2024-12-20 21:24:15

No citation recorded.