Why do male nurses choose to work in foreign countries? A qualitative study on Chinese male nurses working in Japan

This study aimed to examine foreign-educated male nurses' motivation to emigrate for work, as well as explore the contextual factors that shape their career trajectories.

To that end, we interviewed Chinese male nurses working in Japan. No previous study has examined why male nurses seek employment abroad or the problems they face.

This study employed a qualitative and inductive research design. Sixteen Chinese male nurses working in Eastern and Western Japan were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling methods and were interviewed via video calls. Co-researchers of both genders from different occupational and cultural backgrounds coded the findings and identified common themes in participants' responses. We analysed our findings vis-à-vis various theoretical perspectives and developed an explanatory model.

Participants' experience as nurses in Japan ranged from six months to eight years. The findings confirmed that factors identified in earlier reports influenced nurses' motivation and work. Two new factors emerged: influence by others and social reasons. Moreover, two factors that affected male nurses' motivation to work abroad, namely, external factors and the influence of others, were identified. Social reasons were identified as a pull factor.

Our study provides valuable insights into recruiting and retaining foreign male nurses in developed countries facing issues such as ageing populations and nursing shortages.

This study has important implications for nursing management. Our findings highlight the importance of orienting foreign-educated nurses regarding the local work culture to increase the recruitment and retention of foreign talent. Moreover, enhanced salary packages and benefits to improve motivation can lead to improved job performance, which can positively impact patient and safety outcomes.