A Humanist Approach to Understanding the Migration of Filipino Nurses to the United States

Abstract

The global nursing shortage created opportunities for registered nurses from less developed countries to improve their working and living conditions through migration to more progressive and affluent nations. In the Philippines, this phenomenon left the country devoid of the much needed health care professionals. In this research study, I described the lived experiences of eleven indigenous Filipino nurses who migrated to the United States. Through the phenomenology approach, I was able to probe into the meaning of the migration as the participants lived through it, approaching it from a humanist perspective and using Abraham Maslow's theory on the hierarchy of needs as the framework. The study was intended to illustrate how the economic, social, and political characteristics of both countries impacted the Filipino nurses' behavior and thought processes while in pursuit of personal goals. Ultimately, this study could be used as a guide in the development of employment and health care policies that are more responsive to the current state of the nursing profession.