Canadian-Trained Nurses in North Carolina

Abstract

Little is known about nurses who leave Canada to work in the US. The main purpose of this study is to gain some insight into the emigration component of nursing supply and demand by comparing characteristics of nurses who left Canada to nurses who stayed. Specifically, Canadian-trained RNs who work in the state of North Carolina are compared to RNs who work in Canada. Results show that there are 40% more Canadian-trained RNs in North Carolina than there are in Prince Edward Island. A higher percentage of Canadian-trained RNs in North Carolina are male, under 40 years of age, have baccalaureate training and graduated less than 10 years ago. Canadian-trained nurses in both countries have very low rates of unemployment. The loss of Canadiantrained RNs to the US is a significant problem, and there is an urgent need to obtain a better understanding of why nurses leave the country.

Migration: a concept analysis from a nursing perspective

“…2004, Aiken 2007), ‘nurse recruits’ (Brush et al. 2004), ‘Canadian trained’ (Pink et al. 2004), and ‘overseas qualified’ (Hawthorne 2001).…”

Facts and Opinions: Abetting Emigration of Canada's Nurses and Doctors

“…Mark Bernstein ast year an article appeared in Healthcare Quarterly attempting to analyze and understand reasons nurses emigrate from Canada to the United States, specifically North Carolina (Pink et al 2004). An introduction to the article appeared unsympathetic to this situation (Pringle 2004).…”

“…However, there is asymmetry in remuneration, in that nurses attracted to the US from Canada can expect bigger signing bonuses and higher salaries. Additionally, there is often an improvement in personal lifestyle such as weather, improved educational opportunities (as many American hospitals support nurses' pursuit of advanced education) and other factors (Pink et al 2004;Pringle 2004). The differential between incomes of Canadian and American doctors, especially specialists, is even more substantial than the differential in nurses' salaries.…”

International Mobility of Health Professionals and Health Workforce Management in Canada

“…Between 1991 and 2001 more than 32 000 TN visas were issued to Canadian registered nurses (Blouin, 2005). In 2001, the US government passed the Rural and Urban Healthcare Act of 2001 that removed many barriers to Canadian trained nurses (Pink et al, 2004). Over the 1990s it has been estimated that Canada witnessed a gross outflow of approximately 27 100 Registered nurses through permanent emigration to the United States (Industry Canada, 1999).…”

“…Asymmetry in remuneration is one of the factors that continue to attract Canadian nurses to the U.S. For nurses many recruitment packages included not only full-time positions but a better salary 40 , substantial signing bonuses, and offers to pay for additional university education (MSc and PhD) (Baumann et al 2004;Pink et al 2004). Baumann et al (2006) find that about a third of new nurse graduates in Ontario in 2005 intended to seek employment in the United States, although only 2% actually left in the following 6 months.…”