Fiji loses one-third of nurses to migration

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned that Fiji is facing severe strain from the global nursing shortage.

Recent statistics reveal the country has lost up to a third of its nurses to overseas migration.

ICN Director of nursing policy and practice David Stewart, who is visiting Fiji this week, said the organisation considers the global shortage a “public health emergency” and is working with Pacific nations to address worsening retention and workforce fatigue.

Mr Stewart said that despite 30 million nurses worldwide, the sector still lacks at least six million to meet global demand.

Fiji, he said, is among the hardest-hit countries. “Fiji has lost up to a third of its nurses to overseas countries,” he said.

“Many are no longer even working as nurses but in support roles. This places enormous pressure on the health workers who remain.”

He said retention not recruitment is Fiji’s biggest challenge, citing burnout, low wages, limited resources and high emotional strain as key contributors to nurses leaving.

“Even with new nurses entering the profession, they are not staying. That is the crisis,” he said.

The ICN has also raised concerns about high-income countries recruiting from World Health Organization (WHO) red-list nations like Fiji, where health systems are already fragile.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data shows about 257,000 nurses working abroad originally come from red-list countries.

Mr Stewart said investment in nurses pays significantly, with each dollar injected into the workforce returning two to four dollars through improved public health and productivity.

“Supporting nurses means protecting the health of the whole country,” he said.

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