The global shortage of nurses has resulted in the demand for their services across different jurisdictions causing migration from developing to developed regions. This study aimed to review the literature on drivers of nurses’ migration intentions from source countries and offer future research directions. A search strategy was applied to ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus academic databases to find literature. The search was limited to peer-reviewed, empirical studies published in English from 2013–2023 resulting in 841 papers. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to conduct a systematic review of 35 studies after thorough inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, the VOSviewer software was utilized to map network visualization of keywords, geographic and author cooperation for bibliometric understanding. The findings revealed various socio-economic, organizational, and national factors driving nurses’ migration intentions. However, limited studies have been conducted on family income, organizational culture, leadership style, infrastructure development, social benefits, emergency service delivery, specialized training, and bilateral agreements as potential drivers for informing nurses’ migration intentions. Moreover, a few studies were examined from a theoretical perspective, mainly the push and pull theory of migration. This paper contributes to the health human resources literature and shows the need for future studies to consider the gaps identified in the management and policy direction of nurse labor migration.

Abuosi, A. A., & Abor, P. A. (2015). Migration intentions of nursing students in Ghana: Implications for human resource development in the health sector. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 16(3), 593–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-014-0353-5

Acea-López, L., Pastor-Bravo, M., Rubinat-Arnaldo, E., et al. (2021). Burnout and job satisfaction among nurses in three Spanish Regions. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(7), 2208–2215. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13376

Adams, R., Ryan, T., & Wood, E. (2021). Understanding the factors that affect retention within the mental health nursing workforce: A systematic review and thematic synthesis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 30(6), 1476–1497. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12904

Anduaga-Beramendi, A., Beas, R., Maticorena-Quevedo, J., et al. (2019). Association between burnout and intention to emigrate in Peruvian health-care workers. Safety And Health at Work, 10(1), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2018.08.004

Asamani, J. A., Amertil, N. P., Ismaila, H., et al. (2020). The imperative of evidence-based health workforce planning and implementation: Lessons from nurses and midwives unemployment crisis in Ghana. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-0462-5

Atkinson, L., & Cipriani, A. (2017). How to carry out a literature search for a systematic review: A practical guide. BJPsych Advances, 24(2), 74–82.

Bagraim, J. J. (2013). Commitment and the emigration intentions of South African professional nurses. Health SA Gesondheid, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v18i1.512

Boafo, I. M. (2016). Ghanaian nurses’ emigration intentions: The role of workplace violence. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 5, 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2016.11.001

Borgohain, D. J., Zakaria, S., & Kumar Verma, M. (2022). Cluster analysis and network visualization of global research on digital libraries during 2016–2020: A bibliometric mapping. Science & Technology Libraries, 41(3), 266–287.

Buchan, J., & Catton, H. (2020). COVID-19 and the international supply of nurses. Report for the International Council of Nurses. Available online: https://www.icn.ch/resources/publications-and-reports/covid-19-and-international-supply-nurses (accessed on 22 January 2024).

Castro-Palaganas, E., Spitzer, D., Kabamalan, M., et al. (2017). An examination of the causes, consequences, and policy responses to the migration of highly trained health personnel from the Philippines: The high cost of living/leaving-a mixed method study. Human Resources for Health, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0198-z

Cleo, G., Scott, A. M., Islam, F., et al. (2019). Usability and acceptability of four systematic review automation software packages: A mixed method design. Systematic Reviews, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1069-6

Dahl, K., Bjørnnes, A. K., Lohne, V., et al. (2021). Motivation, Education, and Expectations: Experiences of Philippine Immigrant Nurses. SAGE Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211016554

Deasy, C., Loughlin, C., Markey, K., et al. (2021). Effective workforce planning: Understanding final-year nursing and midwifery students’ intentions to migrate after graduation. Journal Of Nursing Management, 29(2), 220–228. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13143

Domagala, A., Kulbat, A., & Parzonka, K. (2022). Emigration from the perspective of Polish health professionals—Insights from a qualitative study. Frontiers In Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1075728

Efendi, F., Oda, H., Kurniati, A., et al. (2021). Determinants of nursing students’ intention to migrate overseas to work and implications for sustainability: The case of Indonesian students. Nursing & Health Sciences, 23(1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12757

Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., et al. (2019). Servant Leadership: A systematic review and call for future research. Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 111–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.07.004

Ferreira, P., Raposo, V., Tavares, A., et al. (2020). Drivers for emigration among healthcare professionals: Testing an analytical model in a primary healthcare setting. Health policy, 124(7), 751–757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.04.009

Gacevic, M., Santric Milicevic, M., Vasic, M., et al. (2018). The relationship between dual practice, intention to work abroad and job satisfaction: A population-based study in the Serbian public healthcare sector. Health Policy, 122(10), 1132–1139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.09.004

Galbany-Estragués, P., Millán-Martínez, P., Pastor-Bravo, M., et al. (2019). Emigration and job security: An analysis of workforce trends for Spanish-trained nurses (2010-2015). Journal Of Nursing Management, 27(6), 1224–1232. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12803

Garcia-Dia, M. J. (2022). The ethical recruitment of internationally educated nurses: A leadership perspective on labor migration. Nurse Leader, 20(1), 43–47.

Garner, S., Raj, L., Prater, L., et al. (2014). Student nurses’ perceived challenges of nursing in India. International Nursing Review, 61(3), 389–397. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12117

George, G., & Reardon, C. (2013). Preparing for export? Medical and nursing student migration intentions post-qualification in South Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v5i1.483

George, G., & Rhodes, B. (2017). Is there a financial incentive to immigrate? Examining of the health worker salary gap between India and popular destination countries. Human Resources for Health, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0249-5

Goštautaitė, B., Bučiūnienė, I., Milašauskienė, Ž., et al. (2018). Migration intentions of Lithuanian physicians, nurses, residents and medical students. Health Policy, 122(10), 1126–1131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.07.001

Gotehus, A. (2021). Agency in deskilling: Filipino nurses’ experiences in the Norwegian health care sector. Geoforum, 126, 340–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.08.012

Gurková, E., Soósová, M. S., Haroková, S., et al. (2013). Job satisfaction and leaving intentions of Slovak and Czech nurses. Int. Nurs. Rev., 60(1), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2012.01030.x

Hashish, E. A., & Ashour, H. M. (2020). Determinants and mitigating factors of the brain drain among Egyptian nurses: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 699–719. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120940381

House of Commons Library. (2023). NHS Staff from overseas: Statistics, (Baker, C.). Available online: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7783/(accessed on 22 January 2024).

Johnson, S. E., Green, J., & Maben, J. (2014). A suitable job: A qualitative study of becoming a nurse in the context of a globalizing profession in India. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(5), 734–743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.09.009

Kellermeyer, L., Harnke, B., & Knight, S. (2018). Covidence And Rayyan. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(4), 580–583. https://doi.org/10.5195/JMLA.2018.513

Konlan, K. D., Lee, T. W., & Damiran, D. (2023). The factors that are associated with nurse immigration in lower and middle-income countries: An integrative review. Nursing Open, 10(12), 7454–7466. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2003

Labrague, L. J., Gloe, D., McEnroe, D. M., et al. (2018). Factors influencing turnover intention among registered nurses in Samar Philippines. Applied Nursing Research, 39, 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2017.11.027

Lee, E. (2016). Factors influencing the intent to migrate in nursing students in South Korea. Journal Of Transcultural Nursing, 27(5), 529–537. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659615577697

Lee, E., & Moon, M. (2013). Korean nursing students’ intention to migrate abroad. Nurse Education Today, 33(12), 1517–1522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.04.006

Lee, E. S. (1966). A Theory of Migration. Demography, 3(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.2307/2060063

Leone, C., Bruyneel, L., Anderson, J. E., et al. (2015). Work environment issues and intention-to-leave in Portuguese nurses: A cross-sectional study. Health Policy, 119(12), 1584–1592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.09.006

Li, H., Kang, Q., Calabrò, A., et al. (2023). International entrepreneurship: Analysing the current state of research. European Journal of International Management, 21(1), 96–120.

Mayona, E. L., & Sutriadi, R. (2024). Ecological city concept: Challenge and future research agenda in urban ecology perspective. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(5), 2852.

Mehmood, S., Bano, A., Khan, M. A., et al. (2024). Effect of workplace bullying and incivility on employee performance: Mediating role of psychological well being. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(5), 3390. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i5.3390

Mudiyanselage, S. R., Davis, D., Kurz, E., et al. (2022). Infant and young child feeding during natural disasters: A systematic integrative literature review. Women and Birth, 35(6), 524–531.

Öncü, E., Köksoy Vayısoğlu, S., Karadağ, G., et al. (2023). The relationship between unemployment anxiety, job satisfaction and migration attitude among the next generation of Turkish nurses: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104603

Öncü, E., Vayısoğlu, S. K., Karadağ, G., et al. (2021). Intention to migrate among the next generation of Turkish nurses and drivers of migration. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(3), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13187

Osei, S. K. J., Owusu, M. B., Frimpong, S., et al. (2023). Systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol for examining policies mitigating the determinants of African nurses’ and midwives’ migration. BMJ open, 13(9), e073203.

Ortiga, Y., Dino, M., & Macabasag, R. (2022). Clocking out: Nurses refusing to work in a time of pandemic. Social Science & Medicine, 305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115114

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4

Palese, A., Falomo, M., Brugnolli, A., et al. (2017). Nursing student plans for the future after graduation: A multicentre study. International Nursing Review, 64(1), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12346

Poku, C. A., Abebrese, A. K., Dwumfour, C. K., et al. (2023). Draining the specialized nursing brains, the emigration paradigm of Ghana: A cross-sectional study. Nursing Open. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1662

Poudel, C., Ramjan, L., Everett, B., et al. (2018). Exploring migration intention of nursing students in Nepal: A mixed-methods study. Nurse Education in Practice, 29, 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2017.11.012

Prisma Flow Diagram. (2020). PRISMA 2020 Flow diagram. Available online: https://www.prisma-statement.org/prisma-2020 (accessed on 13 January 2024).

Reardon, C., & George, G. (2014). An examination of the factors fueling migration amongst Community Service practitioners. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.625

Roth, C., Wensing, M., Breckner, A., et al. (2022). Keeping nurses in nursing: A qualitative study of German nurses’ perceptions of push and pull factors to leave or stay in the profession. BMC Nursing, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00822-4

Salehi, T., Mirzaee, M., Haghani, S., et al. (2023). Assessment of the Relationship Between Intention to Migrate with Workload and a Healthy Work Environment of Nurses. J. Client. Cent. Nurs. Care., 9(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.32598/JCCNC.9.2.426.1

Sánchez-Cardona, I., Vera, M., & Marrero-Centeno, J. (2021). Job resources and employees’ intention to stay: The mediating role of meaningful work and work engagement. Journal of Management and Organization. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2021.10

Santric-Milicevic, M., Matejic, B., Terzic-Supic, Z., et al. (2015). Determinants of intention to work abroad of college and specialist nursing graduates in Serbia. Nurse Education Today, 35(4), 590–596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.12.022

Sarkis-Onofre, R., Catalá-López, F., Aromataris, E., et al. (2021). How to properly use the PRISMA Statement. Systematic Reviews, 10, 1–3.

Shojaeimotlagh, V., Valizadeh, S., Hasankhani, H., et al. (2018). Psychological needs, satisfaction and intention to migrate in Iranian nurses: A qualitative content analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 47(8), 1201–1208.

Smith, D. M., & Gillin, N. (2021). Filipino nurse migration to the UK: Understanding migration choices from an ontological security-seeking perspective. Social Science and Medicine, 276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113881

Smith, J. B., Herinek, D., Woodward-Kron, R., et al. (2022). Nurse Migration in Australia, Germany, and the UK: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of Empirical Research Involving Migrant Nurses. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 23(3), 175–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/15271544221102964

Socha-Dietrich, K., & Dumont, J. C. (2021). International migration and movement of nursing personnel to and within OECD countries-2000 to 2018: Developments in countries of destination and impact on countries of origin. OECD Health Working Papers, 125. https://doi.org/10.1787/b286a957-en

Steen, S., & Rose Prasath, P. (2023). Black doctoral student research participants: A mixed-method systematic literature review. Counselor Education and Supervision, 62(2), 132–148. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceas.12262

Stokes, F., & Iskander, R. (2021). Human Rights and Bioethical Considerations of Global Nurse Migration. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 18(3), 429–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-021-10110-6

Syahri, M., & Salahudin, S. (2024). Understanding ecological citizenship through global literature: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(7), 4088. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i7.4088

Szpakowski, R., Zajac, P. W., Dykowska, G., et al. (2016). Labour migration of Polish nurses: A questionnaire survey conducted with the Computer Assisted Web Interview technique. Human Resources for Health, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-016-0124-9

Tamata, A. T., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2023). A systematic review study on the factors affecting shortage of nursing workforce in the hospitals. Nursing Open, 10(3), 1247–1257. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1434

Tao, L., Pang, L., Wei, Y., et al. (2024). How does housing affordability affect migration intentions of married migrant workers? Social integration as a mediating variable. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(6), 5165. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i6.5165

Tomblin Murphy, G., MacKenzie, A., Waysome, B., et al. (2016). A mixed-methods study of health worker migration from Jamaica. Human Resources for Health, 14, 89–103.

Tosunoz, I., & Nazik, E. (2022). Career future perceptions and attitudes towards migration of nursing students: A cross-sectional multicenter study. Nurse Education in Practice, 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103413

TinyURL. (n.d.a). Available online: https://tinyurl.com/232sqcr6 (accessed on 12 May 2024).

TinyURL. (n.d.b). Available online: https://tinyurl.com/23pl7l8r (accessed on 13 May 2024).

TinyURL. (n.d.c). Available online: https://tinyurl.com/2yhyhvqj (accessed on 14 May 2024).

Van de Ven, A. H. (1989). Nothing is quite so practical as a good theory. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 486–489.

Walton-Roberts, M., Runnels, V., Rajan, S., et al. (2017). Causes, consequences, and policy responses to the migration of health workers: Key findings from India. Human Resources for Health, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0199-y

World Health Organization. (2020). State of the World’s Nursing 2020: Investing in education, jobs and leadership: Web annex: Nursing roles in 21st-century health systems. World Health Organization.

World Health Organization. (2023). Noncommunicable diseases. Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases (accessed on 24 January 2024).