Geographic Mobility and Related Factors among Newly Graduated Nurses

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the mobility of newly graduated nurses from regions where their nursing schools were located to regions where they took up their first jobs, and to identify factors influencing nurses' mobility. Methods: Data from the Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, collected annually from 2010 to 2014 by the Korea Employment Information Service, were analyzed. The sample consisted of 1,488 graduates and 1,229 nurses who were employed on a full-time basis in hospitals. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with geographic mobility. Results: Among the nurses working in hospitals, 69.2% had their first jobs in their nursing school regions and 11.3% in their high school regions. Fifty-two percent of the nurses worked in the capital region; 47.2% thereof had moved from a non-capital region. Nurses were more likely to work in their nursing school region when they were female, were older, graduated from a high school located in their nursing school region, graduated from a college (vs. university), had a lower nursing school performance, and expected lower monthly wage, compared with those who left their nursing school region. Conclusion: Education and remuneration policies are required to reduce geographical mobility to the capital region.