Global Worker Migration: Crisis and Opportunity in the Nursing Profession

In an attempt to alleviate the shortage of nurses practicing within the United States (US), hospitals and other health care organizations have begun to recruit nurses from outside America's borders. While these efforts may yield increased staffing levels in the US, they have also raised questions as to whether it is ethical to create nurse shortages in poor countries so that richer countries can enjoy full employee rosters. This recruitment of nurses serves to create what has been labelled as 'brain drain' for many developing countries. Within the US, professional nursing and hospital organizations and governmental legislation are attempting to address the issues of nursing shortages and help relieve some of the issues created by brain drain. Using game theory as a theoretical foundation, this article proposes the development of a win-win environment that may support adequate nursing levels in both developed and developing countries.