LA EPOCA DE LA CONQUISTA Y LA COLONIA EN EL MUNICIPIO DE FUNZA

Towards the end of her interview, Kate tells of reading an article in a NZ

newspaper that talked about NZ nurses leaving and coming to the States. She was upset because the paper seemed to portray nurses as leaving NZ only because of better pay and opportunities without an understanding of comparable costs in each country and negating any other reasons behind the nurses’ decisions. As she felt compelled to write to the paper with a response, it was clear that even years after this event happened Kate still felt strongly about the message the paper appeared to portray about nurses leaving NZ.

With the current disparity in nursing wages between NZ and the United States [US] it would be easy to assume that nurses are travelling to the US for financial reasons. Certainly anecdotal stories and some media reports perhaps perpetuate this myth. The inference that NZ nurses are ‘economic migrants’ leaving home in search of better money may be reflective of discussions and views held by some in NZ and abroad but is only very partially supported by the results of this study. For all of the nurses interviewed the foremost reason for deciding to work in the US was not financially motivated. Instead, findings seem to be similar to several other studies that indicated the migration decision is a more complex and multifaceted process usually involving a variety of reasons, coupled with environmental and the personal circumstances of the individual and family at the time. Just as Hardill and MacDonald (2000), Larson, Allen, Bryan and Smith

(2005), and Sidebotham and Ahern (2000) found after interviewing nurses in the UK and Australia, there were a variety of reasons contributing to the emigration of the nurses from their countries of origin.

New Zealand has a large geographically mobile population (Conradson & Latham, 2005; Lidgard, 2001). It has been estimated as many as 45,000 NZ citizens a year leave on a permanent or long term basis (Statistics New Zealand, 2013). The geographical isolation of NZ along with the expense of travelling has resulted in New Zealanders spending a sustained period of time journeying to various places in the world and working to support themselves to ensure that long term travel plans remain viable (Wilson, Fisher & Moore, 2009). As several authors articulate, this tradition of a working holiday where travel, exploration and cultural experiences are considered more

important aspects of the journey rather than career development is a cultural practice in NZ that dates back more than 50 years (Inkson, Arthur, Pringle & Baring, 1997; Inkson & Myers, 2003; Wilson, Fisher & Moore, 2009b).

Like many other New Zealanders who travel abroad for work, for the nurses in this study, the lure and pursuit of overseas travel was found to be the primary

motivating factor to leave NZ. While family considerations and work limitations contributed to the timing of the decision to leave the country, it was the opportunity to travel and work in another part of the world that seemed to have the greatest bearing on the decision to leave. While studies on nurses who migrate from one developed country to another are few, there is some data that supports this finding. Haour-Knipe and Davies (2008) found that some nurses travel for adventure and to see the world. This

was especially true, they claimed, for those who came from isolated countries. Larsen, Allen, Bryan and Smith (2005) also found that the opportunity to travel was a strong motivator for the nurses in their study to migrate to the UK.

While migration theory discusses both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that play a role in migration decisions; it has been shown that for the NZ nurses in this study ‘pull’ factors had by far the greater influence. Only one of the nurses spoke strongly on the need to leave NZ based on their work conditions or lifestyles. Limitations in the number and type of jobs available for the nurses along with a lack of specialised training

opportunities were perhaps the only factors that ‘pushed’ these nurses to leave the country initially. Instead the sentiment that it was ‘time for a change’ seemed to feature prominently in their interviews.

Several overseas studies have identified other ‘pull’ factors that will contribute to the decision for nurses to migrate. Free travel, licensure and accommodation along with extensive learning and practice opportunities are strong incentives for a nurse

considering overseas work (Brush, Sochalski & Berger, 2004; Ross, Polsky & Sochalski, 2005). This was certainly the case for many of the nurses in this study as shown in the previous chapters. While considering travelling abroad, enticements from recruiting hospitals and agencies contributed significantly in helping the nurses make the decision to leave NZ.

NZ cannot mitigate the ‘pull’ factors. It has already been shown that New Zealanders travel a lot and will continue to do so, often for long periods at a time. By recognizing and accepting that this is the situation and it probably will not change in the perceivable future, NZ then has to look at ways to ensure these migrants return at some point to be welcomed back as experienced and valued nurses.

The ‘push’ factors that serve to drive NZ nurses out of the country can however be addressed by studying the work environments and the day to day concerns of the NZ working nurse. By acknowledging the value of nursing and attempting to understand what nurses need to flourish in their working environment (Thupayagke-Yshureneagae (2007) provisions can then be put in place to either keep nurses at home or encourage an early return from an overseas excursion or assignment. As the International Council of Nurses (2007) discusses, nurses will stay where they are fairly paid and can advance professionally while participating in the healthcare decision making process.

It is worth noting for the nurses in this study, the settling in period after arrival in the US was for the most part a positive experience. Supported by both fellow migrants and the companies or hospitals they worked for, there was a consensus that overall it was not that difficult to adjust to the US lifestyle and work environment.

Travelling to areas where there were other migrant workers from similar backgrounds provided the nurses with the support they needed to assimilate into their new environments. This finding is supported by several authors studying New

Zealanders living abroad who comment upon this tendency of New Zealanders to gather together in one place (Conradson & Latham, 2007; Wilson, Fisher, & Moore, 2009). They found that the new migrant’s need to socialize with others of similar backgrounds who offer social support served to provide emotional security and self esteem to the new migrant along with a sense of community and belonging (Wilson, Fisher, & Moore, 2009). This was certainly the case for most of the nurses in this study. Just having others

around them who they could relate to and discuss similar experiences seemed to help provide a strong support network. The nurses identified few barriers to assimilating into their new roles and as they looked back and reflected upon this time, it certainly seemed that this positive ‘settling in’ period had broader implications related to the length of time they had remained overseas.

For those nurses who had returned to NZ after several years abroad,

recollections of the largely positive experiences they had had while working overseas served to resonate with them. They had no difficulty making a decision to once again become a nurse migrant, leaving NZ for further nursing opportunities. For these nurses a combination of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors seemed to be at play. Comparing conditions in NZ related to both the workplace and lifestyle including financial considerations, with previous experiences overseas in another developed country seemed to have as strong an impact on their decision as did the opportunity to travel again. If New Zealand is to hold on to future NZ nurses returning, these ‘push’ factors most certainly should be investigated and mitigated.

The reasons why NZ nurses travel abroad may also vary dependent upon their destination. This small study focused on one US geographical location where NZ nurses had travelled to. It has been found however that nurses travel predominantly to

Australia and to Europe, primarily England (Health workforce information programme team, 2009). While we can speculate that similar to the participants in this study, other

nurses are travelling to England, along with large numbers of other NZ professionals, to be close to Europe and other travel destinations (Wilson, Fisher & Moore, 2009b), it is perhaps less apparent why some make the decision to only travel as far as Australia. Like many New Zealanders it is assumed nurses make the short trip because of better opportunities including financial considerations but solid data is not readily apparent. Until it is, we can speculate that the motivation for becoming a migrant nurse may be dependent upon the choice of destination or vice versa.