Investigation of the relationship between attitudes toward migration and life satisfaction of nurses working in Turkey

Background: Nurse migration contributes to the nursing shortage in developing countries. Understanding nurses' attitudes toward migration and related factors is crucial for policy-making and healthcare workforce planning in Turkey. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nurses' attitudes toward migration and their life satisfaction in Turkey. Methods: The study included working nurses with social media accounts on a social media platform in Turkey who followed nursing-related content. A sample of 423 nurses completed an online survey. Independent variables included nurses' sociodemographic characteristics and inclination toward migration, while dependent variables were life satisfaction and migration attitude levels. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, incorporating the Brain Drain Attitude Scale (BDAS) and Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS), between April and May 2023. Results: The study found a negative correlation between nurses' life satisfaction levels and their attitudes toward migration (r = −.349, p <.001). Nurses dissatisfied with their profession (F = 6.575, p <.05), lacking professional support (F = 8.641, p <.05), and lacking social support (F = 6.307, p <.05) scored higher on the BDAS. Conversely, those satisfied with their profession (F = 31.455, p <.05), receiving professional support (F = 26.307, p <.05), and social support (F = 33.990, p <.05) scored higher on the LSS. Conclusion and implications for nursing: The study revealed that decreased life satisfaction among nurses in Turkey correlates with increased migration attitudes. These results underscore the need for strategies to enhance nurses' job satisfaction and support systems to mitigate migration tendencies. This study contributes valuable insights into the high inclination of Turkish nurses toward emigration.