Nursing education and emigration of nurses from Punjab a geographical study

Abstract

The present study has explored the historical development of nursing education in the context of nurses migration; analyzed the trends in growth of nursing institutes in Punjab and examined their spatial distribution in the state; evaluated the availability of human resources and physical infrastructure in different nursing institutes; explored the internationalization of nursing education and its role in emigration; identified broad spatial patterns of emigration of prospective nurse migrants from Punjab; and examined the experiences of emigrated nurses from Punjab settled in foreign destinations. Based largely on primary data the study provided a detailed account of how migratory opportunities offered by the nursing profession are linked with rapid growth of nursing institutes in the state. It highlighted how nursing institutes in the state have maintained higher standards of nursing education by providing adequate human resources and infrastructural facilities in the institutes to train nursing students for the profession. A detailed account is also given on how nursing students aspiring to go abroad are allured by private nursing institutes which arranged (i) collaborations with foreign universities; (ii) faculty exchange programmes; (iii) organization of international seminars and conferences; (iv) free IELTS training, etc. Social networks through friends, relatives and family members abroad played an important role in determining the routes of international migration for such students. The present work, thus, explores not only the future migration streams likely to be formed by prospective migrants but also probes how emigrated nurses from the state encountered with challenges and difficulties but showed resilience and patience with determination to settle in the new settings. newline