Understanding Health Professionals' Migration in Bulgaria: Driving and Retention Factors Among Physicians and Nurses

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resources in Healthcare

Background:

• Emigration of Bulgarian health professionals is a significant challenge.
• Understanding migration determinants is crucial for retention strategies.
• Focus on physicians and nurses in Bulgaria.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine factors influencing migration and retention of physicians and nurses.
• Identify underlying structures of migration drivers and retention determinants.
• Analyze differences between physicians and nurses.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 338 health professionals (2022).
• Online questionnaire data collection.
• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Mann-Whitney U test.

Main Results:

• Migration drivers: professional advancement/work environment, financial incentives, family benefits.
• Retention determinants: socioeconomic/healthcare framework, employment/career development, personal/social environment.
• Financial incentives less influential for physicians; personal/social factors more for nurses.

Conclusions:

• Identified key constructs for health professional migration drivers and retention.
• Findings support evidence-based interventions to reduce brain drain.
• Need for targeted strategies to retain skilled health professionals in Bulgaria.