Why do nurses from the Philippines want to leave their families and work in the United States?

Filipinos have a long tradition of seeking well-paid jobs outside of the Philippines. It is estimated that at any one time, 7-8 million Filipino citizens are working outside their country. The Philippine government, through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) states that over 800,000 applications are made each year by Filipinos to work outside of the country. Furthermore, approximately $6-7 billion per year is sent back to their families in the Philippines by those who work overseas. This makes up 8-9% of the country’s gross national product.

Nurses we have interviewed from the Philippines indicate that they seek professional development to earn more money for their families. Compensation of nurses in the Philippines is around $5,000 per year, while in the States the prevailing wage for new RNs is approximately $35,000 plus benefits⁵.

⁵ This annual compensation differs by region of our country. The Department of Labor publishes the prevailing wages for registered nurses on their web-site.

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