The brain drain of South Pacific Island nations : an econometric investigation into the factors which influence migration decisions of skilled health professionals

TL;DRAbstract

The globalisation of health care has in part seen an acceleration in the migration of doctors and nurses from the Pacific Island nations of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga to the Pacific periphery, notably Australia and New Zealand. However few studies have been conducted determining the motivations behind skilled health professional's (SHP's) decision and intentions to migrate. While it is commonly acknowledged the central goal behind migration is to improve one's living standards and quality of life, it must be noted that key motivating reasons behind a migration decision is often case or group specific. A recent study of 251 doctors and nurses from the Pacific island nations was conducted by Brown and Connell (2004), where econometric methods were employed in analysing the key determinants behind SHPs present migration status and future migration intentions. However, Brown and Connell's models neglected to incorporate certain variables relating to such factors as human capital, the desire to

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