Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration
Background High-income countries increasingly look to the international recruitment of health workers to address domestic shortages, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. We adapt conceptual frameworks from migration studies to examine the networked and commercialised nature of the...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2024-02-01
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| Series: | BMJ Global Health |
| Online Access: | https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/2/e014096.full |
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| author | Benjamin M Hunter Susan F Murray Sibille Merz Ramila Bisht |
| author_facet | Benjamin M Hunter Susan F Murray Sibille Merz Ramila Bisht |
| author_sort | Benjamin M Hunter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background High-income countries increasingly look to the international recruitment of health workers to address domestic shortages, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. We adapt conceptual frameworks from migration studies to examine the networked and commercialised nature of the Indian market for nurse migration to the UK.Methods We draw on data from 27 expert interviews conducted with migration intermediaries, healthcare providers and policymakers in India and the UK.Findings India–UK nurse migration occurs within a complex and evolving market encompassing ways to educate, train and recruit nursing candidates. For-profit actors shape the international orientation of nursing curricula, broker on-the-job training and offer language, exam and specialised clinical training. Rather than merely facilitate travel, these brokers produce both generic, emigratory nurses as well as more customised nurses ready to meet specific shortages in the UK.Discussion The dialectic of producing emigratory and customised nurses is similar to that seen in the Post-Fordist manufacturing model characterised by flexible specialisation and a networked structure. As the commodity in this case are people attempting to improve their position in life, these markets require attention from health policy makers. Nurse production regimes based on international market opportunities are liable to change, subjecting nurses to the risk of having trained for a market that can no longer accommodate them. The commercial nature of activities further entrenches existing socioeconomic inequalities in the Indian nurse force. Negative repercussions for the source healthcare system can be anticipated as highly qualified, specialised nurses leave to work in healthcare systems abroad. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5bbd1190c0b54979bb26d68ba4cb6986 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-7908 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-5bbd1190c0b54979bb26d68ba4cb69862025-08-20T03:44:20ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082024-02-019210.1136/bmjgh-2023-014096Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migrationBenjamin M Hunter0Susan F Murray1Sibille Merz2Ramila Bisht3School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKDepartment of International Development, King`s College London, London, UKDepartment of International Development, King`s College London, London, UKprofessorBackground High-income countries increasingly look to the international recruitment of health workers to address domestic shortages, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. We adapt conceptual frameworks from migration studies to examine the networked and commercialised nature of the Indian market for nurse migration to the UK.Methods We draw on data from 27 expert interviews conducted with migration intermediaries, healthcare providers and policymakers in India and the UK.Findings India–UK nurse migration occurs within a complex and evolving market encompassing ways to educate, train and recruit nursing candidates. For-profit actors shape the international orientation of nursing curricula, broker on-the-job training and offer language, exam and specialised clinical training. Rather than merely facilitate travel, these brokers produce both generic, emigratory nurses as well as more customised nurses ready to meet specific shortages in the UK.Discussion The dialectic of producing emigratory and customised nurses is similar to that seen in the Post-Fordist manufacturing model characterised by flexible specialisation and a networked structure. As the commodity in this case are people attempting to improve their position in life, these markets require attention from health policy makers. Nurse production regimes based on international market opportunities are liable to change, subjecting nurses to the risk of having trained for a market that can no longer accommodate them. The commercial nature of activities further entrenches existing socioeconomic inequalities in the Indian nurse force. Negative repercussions for the source healthcare system can be anticipated as highly qualified, specialised nurses leave to work in healthcare systems abroad.https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/2/e014096.full |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin M Hunter Susan F Murray Sibille Merz Ramila Bisht Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration BMJ Global Health |
| title | Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration |
| title_full | Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration |
| title_fullStr | Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration |
| title_short | Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration |
| title_sort | market making and the production of nurses for export a case study of india uk health worker migration |
| url | https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/2/e014096.full |
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