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Where Do Chinese Health Professionals Stand on Issues of Migration to the West

Posted on by Lucie Loutan
Author(s): H. H. Dib*1, X. Qiang2, Q. Liu3, S. Wei4, L. Li5
Affiliation(s): 1Health Care Management, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 2Psychiatry hospital, An Ding Hospital affiliated with
Capital Medical University, Beijing, 3Statistics department, School of Public Health, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 4Thoracic Surgery, First Hospital of Tsinghua University, 5Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Keywords: Migration, health professionals, obstacles, level of education
Background:

Investigate the tendencies and obstacles facing Chinese health professionals in migrating to western countries
Summary/Objectives:

A qualitative survey interviewed 540 from different ranks in health professions and education level from three hospitals-Psychiatric Hospital (n=289); General Hospital (n=125), Chinese-Western Combination Hospital (n=126)
Results:

1 – Working abroad to enhance professional skills versus level of education, years of experience, and barriers to migrate significant differences were detected (P<0.05 to P<0.0001) (Table 1).
2 – Migrating and coming back is an advantage versus type of profession, level of education, barriers to migrate, reasons for migrating showed significant differences (P<0.05 to P<0.0001).
3 – Willingness in investing for higher nursing degree to migrate for financial purposes versus professions, years of experience, barriers to migrate, previous years of experience abroad or planning to work abroad, work experience in big Chinese cities showed significant differences (P<0.05, P<0.001 to P<0.0001).
4 – Lack of equity in investing for intensive nursing courses and/or training for license exams versus barriers to migrate, reasons for migrating, years of experience and/or planning to work abroad showed significant differences (P<0.05).
5 – Obtaining international certification in working abroad versus barriers to migrate, and reasons for migrating showed significant differences (P<0.05).
6 – Comparing future migration versus years of experience showed significant differences (P<0.05).
7 – Working abroad to enhance professional skills between groups among different ages showed significant differences (P<0.05).
8 – Migrating and coming back as an advantage between groups among different ages showed significant differences (P<0.05).
9 – Willingness to invest for higher nursing degree or training for license exams between groups among different ages showed significant differences (P<0.0001).
10 – Lack in equity for investing in intensive nursing courses between groups among different ages showed significant difference (P<0.05).
Lessons learned:

Major obstacles facing Chinese health professionals are of working abroad are language barrier, lack of equity, and international certification. There is a fertile health human resources training market targeting especially nurses, which could boost the increasing number of high quality nurses and absorbed in the western countries through to boost their healthcare systems.

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