Why do Indian nurses migrate abroad?
The demand for Indian nurses in abroad is never ending. Lured by amble of attractive opportunities in foreign countries, Indian nurses prefer to migrate abroad.
Introduction
As stated by the World Health Organization, the year 2020 had been the ‘Year of Nurse’. The demand for Indian nurses abroad have surged ever since. India is one of the largest source of immigrant nurses and physicians. There are around 6,40,000 Indian nurses and healthcare professionals working across United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. India has highest number of medical colleges and universities which becomes a leading source of qualified nurses. Nearly around 3% of registered nurses in India migrate abroad. Qualified nurses have varied reasons to move abroad and continue their profession abroad. The allure for migrating abroad remains strong for qualified nurses seeking growth and exposure. As per research estimates, around 20% to 50% of Indian nurses and healthcare professionals intend to migrate abroad. Lets dive into the exact reasons why Indian nurses migrate abroad.
Demand for Indian Nurses abroad
Healthcare sector in abroad is one of the most prioritized sector which highly values healthcare professionals. Foreign countries have unmet demand for nursing professionals. Healthcare and nursing profession is one of the top occupations with higher growth potential in abroad. The demand for nursing professionals have increased manifolds after the global pandemic situation. The demand situation is expected to remain constant considering the given scenario. The demand for qualified nurses in abroad is higher as compared to the output (Number of qualified nurses). Therefore, countries internationally hire qualified nurses.
Countries like UK and US highly encourages Indian nurses to migrate to their countries especially in recent years. For instance, UK encourages qualified healthcare professionals by providing fast-tracked visa as announced in November 2019. This initiative was undertaken to address healthcare shortages in UK.
As we all know, nursing is a profession that is recession-proof. The economic status of developed countries ensures that the demand for qualified nurses remains high. Nurses are an integral part in developed countries. Therefore, overseas nursing jobs are in abundance. This situation also opens plethora of nursing job opportunities in abroad for freshers .
Reason why Indian Nurses migrate abroad
Nursing is indeed a personally and emotionally rewarding profession. It has excellent working prospects across the globe with varied specialization options. The demand for nurses and care givers have increased manifolds. Considering the global pull and attractive benefits, most Indian nurses travel abroad. As per United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), nurses working abroad receive 25% more salary as compared to their home country.
Did you know?
Nurses and caregivers are offered as much as 40-50 lakh in developed countries like USA and Canada. The salary packages are approximately similar in countries like New Zealand, Germany and other Middle Eastern countries.
Salary and higher scope of earning are the major catch when it comes to working abroad as a nursing professional. The huge salary gap between their home country and foreign countries is one of the main reason why they prefer to move abroad. Nurses are paid in paltry sums in their home country with limited growth and career opportunities. This situation further influences them to migrate abroad. Thus, it can be said that salary packages and monetary benefits are highly attractive in foreign countries. This is the major reason why Indian nurses prefer to migrate abroad to advance their career.
The affirmative policies and procedures in foreign countries encourages Indian nurses and health care professionals to migrate abroad. Moreover, perceived better working opportunities and career growth facilities in abroad drives them to migrate abroad. Apart from the facilities, the lack of opportunities and bureaucratic bottlenecks in healthcare industry influences them to migrate abroad.
Indian nurses also travels abroad as it enables them to experience diverse international cultures. Global perspective in nursing also helps them to sharpen their nursing skills. Working abroad as Indian nurse helps them gain understanding of medical procedures in different scenarios. The significance of travelling nurses are highly essential as they can access to places with limited medical care facilities. Apart of attractive pay scale, nurses have immense opportunities to gather nursing experience. Furthermore, nursing in foreign countries is seen as a feather in the cap among Indian nurses.
Nursing Degree required to work abroad
The healthcare sector is booming and evidently it is not slowing down any sooner. Nursing graduates (B SC / M Sc) or Individuals completing diploma courses in nursing can easily land in high paid jobs abroad. Depending on the qualification and aptitude of the nurses, they can get high paid jobs in government hospitals, healthcare centers or private clinics in abroad. The scope of getting a high paid job is plenty.
To make a nursing career abroad, all that is needed is a complete graduation certification in nursing. Apart from the basic qualification needed for nursing, they need to complete ‘adaptable program’ of the respective country. The adaptation assessment is given to analyze the medical and practical knowledge of the candidate. The assessment program differs from country to country due to differences in healthcare policies, methods and procedures. This must be followed by registration procedure as a nurse in the respective country via Nursing Registration Council. For instance, to work in UK, nurses need to get license from Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Certain level of English speaking skills and communication is needed to pass CBT and OSCE tests.
Foreign countries like UK, Canada, New Zealand and Germany are facing nursing skill shortage. Therefore, these countries have opened their doors for experienced nurses and caregivers from India. To encourage Indian nurses to move abroad, various countries have relaxed their immigration process. Additionally, nurses are given the opportunity to bring their spouses and family members. Visa for nursing professionals are given top most priority by developed countries like Germany and UK. This gives an additional benefit for the nurses to migrate abroad. Students aspiring to be nurses abroad can also get a nursing degree abroad.
Conclusion
Indian nurses have huge career prospects and growth opportunities in abroad. Foreign countries have eased visa processing along with other facilities to encourage qualified nurses to migrate abroad. Ambitious nurses can move abroad to enhance their nursing career. This gives a better opportunity to gain a global perspective in their career and gain global nursing experience. Some foreign countries also provides the opportunity to bring along family members or spouses. Thus, this might be the right time to tap in the opportunity. Still unsure about the policies and procedures to move abroad? There are various platforms which assists qualified nurses to work abroad. You can gain expert guidance to ensure that you land straight in your dream job.
