The international mobility of nurses: a United Kingdom perspective

This paper examines available information on the flows of qualified nurses to and from the United Kingdom, and reports on the results of a questionnaire survey of U.K.-based nurses who had worked abroad. The data examined reveals an upward trend in both "inflow" and "outflow" of nurses in the period 1984-91, with indications of a net outflow. The survey results indicated that Australia was the most common destination; most nurses working abroad had moved to the English-speaking countries of North America and Australasia. Barriers and incentives to international mobility of nurses are discussed, and likely future trends in mobility are examined.