Brain drain or brain gain: The case of Ghanaian nurses seeking greener pastures

Indeed there is no place like home, every Ghanaian knows and can relate to this classic. So why is our home suddenly not ‘sweeting’ our nurses and midwives?

Hmmmmmmm, as our elders say, the frog does not hop in the daytime for nothing. For every action there is always a triggering factor especially for an action as 'risky’ as leaving one’s homeland, comfort and loved ones, the trigger for such an action must be really gargantuan.

I consider myself a baby nurse in that I have just been practicing for a little over 11 years. However, I consider it safe to say nurses are unfairly paid in this country called Ghana.

Well, those who don’t like nurses much may say we don’t do much but I am never surprised by this because, these same people go to healthcare facilities, get greeted by a nurse, offered a seat and vital signs and other assessments done yet, they turn around and call to inform their significant others at home saying and I quote “All this while I have been here, the nurses haven’t done anything for me”.

Well well well, dear client, your most important [VITAL] signs have been taken by this wonderful nurse, now appreciate that.

The job of the nurse is the most difficult in our healthcare settings. Spending the most time with the client amidst the possibility of brewing familiarity and ohhh we all know what comes with familiarity huh, contempt, NO?

The nurses pledge carries with it a very heavy responsibility, a responsibility nurses are very much prepared for and therefore perform to the best of our abilities.

Ghanaian nurses of all cadres and specialties are heroes, they glue together the multidisciplinary team . Advocating for patient rights and safety, ensuring that other members of the team do as is expected to meet clients, and the treatment goals.

It is therefore not surprising that most Ghanaians refer to every female in the hospital setting as a nurse. For your information though, not all nurses are female, we have wonderful male nurses doing the Lord’s work keeping the population healthy. So why are nurses and midwives leaving Ghana?

Simple, it is because of hunger. This hunger isn’t just a physiological hunger, this hunger transcends all aspects of our lives which is, financially, emotionally, psychologically etc. The Ghanaian nurse has suffered a lot of backlash from the general populace for a very long time name, some even say the nurse does not deserve better conditions of service, however same people turn around now and say nurses should not leave the country.

Who wants a do-noting fellow in their home? well this goes to reassure that the Ghanaian nurse is actually doing something, well not just something ‘k3k3’ but “amaaaaaaaaaazing’’ things. Ayekooo to you all noble professionals.

They call it brain drain, I refuse to associate myself with that. I consider it more of a brain gain. These nurses go out there and add on a lot more knowledge and skills. Knowledge and skills which Ghana can always still benefit from. After all there is no place like home., We shall return. It is time for the numerous young unemployed nurses to also shine, so give them those employment letters and watch them do what they were trained to do.

I don’t know much but my little advise to the powers that is[TPTB] is that, instead of trying to employ “ buga buga’’ tactics, this migration issue could actually be managed such that it will mutually benefit all stakeholders home and abroad.

So in short, all this article has been trying to say is “Release the clearance forms".