Penn Nursing 090805_final_4c - University of Pennsylvania School ...

Addressing the issue of nurse migration
from poorer to richer countries
As the international shortage of nurses continues to worsen, the issue of
nurse migration from poorer to richer countries provides a serious agenda
for research. The Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, led by
Linda H. Aiken, PhD, FAAN, FRCN, RN, the Claire M. Fagin Leadership
Professor in Nursing and a Professor of Sociology, recently directed a conference
to address the issue.
Dr. Aiken earned the 2005
AcademyHealth Distinguished
Investigator Award which
“recognizes investigators who
have made significant and lasting
contributions to the field
of health services research
through scholarship and teaching,
advancement of science
and methods, and leadership.”
The Center and AcademyHealth organized the event, held in July at the
Rockefeller Foundation’s conference center in Bellagio, Italy. Sponsors included
the Rockefeller Foundation, the International Development Research
Centre, Johnson & Johnson, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nuffield
Trust, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, the Canadian Health
Services Research Foundation, Canadian Nurses Association, and the Joint
Committee on Economic and Policy Analysis.
“While the scope of the current shortage of nurses is unprecedented, there
are known solutions, such as best practices to improve retention, productivity,
and quality of care and greater investment by governments in nursing
education,” says Dr. Aiken. “Concerted international cooperation and targeted
investments are required to implement these best practices and education
expansion on a scale large enough to meet global needs.”
The group of 23 healthcare experts and policy-makers from 10 source and destination
countries recommended a strong mix of increased investments in nursing
education in developed and developing countries, improving the work environments
and retention of nurses in their countries of origin worldwide, and
bilateral and multilateral cooperative agreements to minimize the negative consequences
of migration.
Such work in the national and global policy arena earned Dr. Aiken the 2005
AcademyHealth Distinguished Investigator Award which “recognizes investigators
who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of
health services research through scholarship and teaching, advancement of
science and methods, and leadership.”
Left to Right, front row: Binod Khadria (India), Judith Shamian (Canada), Patricia Pittman (US), Linda O'Brien-Pallas
(Canada), Linda Aiken (US), Barbara Nichols (US), Jean Yan (WHO), Marilyn Elgado-Lorenzo (Philippines), Marla
Salmon (US), Zack Fang (China).
Left to Right, back row: Jane Mutambira (Zimbabwe), Magda Awases (Congo), Peggy Vidot (Commonwealth
Secretariat), Thembeka Gwagwa (South Africa), Lisa Little (Canada), Mireille Kingma (ICN), Uta Lehmann (South
Africa), Kim Beazor (UK), Dela Dolvo (Ghana), Jim Buchan (UK), Jim Smith (US).
49