The impact of the February 6, 2023, earthquake in Türkiye on the nursing workforce: brain drain and strategic solutions for sustainability in the healthcare sector.

introductionIn the globalizing world, significant advances have been made in health services with the development of technology. These advances have led to an increase in the demand for qualified manpower, such as nurses, to ensure the sustainability of health systems. Disasters, especially disasters such as earthquakes, can cause the migration of qualified manpower out of the city. After earthquakes, the destruction of city infrastructure and the emergence of housing needs increase migration rates. This study aims to analyze the migration of nursing manpower after the February 6, 2023, earthquake and to present solution suggestions for institutions.

methodThis study was planned with a retrospective method. After the February 6, 2023, earthquake until August 2024, the loss of manpower in nursing services in a university hospital was retrospectively examined through personnel records. A total of 68 nurses were included in the study. Data such as age, gender, marital status, type of departure, post-earthquake damage status of their homes (housing problem), and place of migration of the nurses who left the institution were statistically compared.

resultsThe mean age of the nurses included in the study was 34.7 years, 70.6% were female, and 86.8% resigned after the earthquake. After the earthquake, 69.1% migrated to Turkey and 30.9% migrated abroad. It was found that the house where 44.1% of the nurses lived was damaged in the earthquake. There was a statistically significant difference between the place of migration and the way of leaving (p = 0.02). Still, there was no significant difference between gender, marital status, and the method of travel (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: Disasters often lead to large human migrations. Deniz et al. (2017) reported that 250,000 people migrated after the Van earthquake. Katayanagi et al. (2020) reported that 19.1% of the working population became unemployed and migrated after the earthquake in Japan. In this study, the domestic migration rate was found to be 69.1%, which is consistent with the literature. However, it was a striking finding that the majority of nurses who migrated after the earthquake were women and had children.

conclusionAccording to the results of the study, more than 80% of the nurses resigned and migrated to Türkiye; the majority of these nurses were women, and the rate of those who migrated abroad was 30.9%. In order to prevent domestic and international migration, it is recommended that institutions make the necessary arrangements in cooperation with local governments on issues such as housing, child education, and social opportunities.