These insights are not exclusive of Filipino migrant nurses but inclusive of others. I am grateful for our cross-cultural global connections. Each of us is a fine thread in diverse patterns yet unified in the universality of indigenous healing arts expressed in the daily work of nurses.
Why are there migrant nurses?
Importing nurses to United States and other nations became a viable and lucrative strategy for plugging holes in the nurse workforce. There continues to be a prediction of shortage as there is an increase in aging population in United States. This phenomenon is nothing new. It has been going on for over fifty years. Billions of dollars are transmitted around the world from migrant nurses. Many for-profit agencies came to existence charging exorbitant fees from the foreign born nurses, paying lower wages to the nurses and without benefits like paid sick days and vacation time.
In 1960’s, the Philippines was the primary provider of highly qualified nurses to fill shortages and continues to do so today. Some statistics reveal that 75 % of foreign born nurses are Filipinos. They have proven to be a lifeline to many countries because of their high reliability, a strong willingness to accept jobs in almost any part in the world, and the ability to speak English, making them well sought after.
Many Filipino nurses, and those from other nations, were enticed to leave their countries by a promise of better wages. We left our families, including young children in the care of others spouses and grandparents. Because we have a culture of giving or selflessness, we are easily enticed to work an average of fifty hours a week in response to a silent agreement for favorable professional standing as a team member in addition to more money while sacrificing self-care. Migrant nurses from developing countries with the same education and training are paid less than those from first world countries.
The economic, political and socio-cultural challenges in the Philippines encouraged nurses and other professionals to migrate. It was a “brain drain”that progressed to “brain hemorrhage” as massive numbers of highly trained and educated nurses and physicians who pursued nursing degree migrate end up using all their expertise in other countries. As migrant nurses build their lives outside their native nations, countries like Philippines and others are left with same shortage and the irreparable socio-emotional-cultural- developmental impact on family members left behind. These countries are poorly positioned to sustain this because of the consequences to their own population. This developmental and moral contradiction is an on-going international debate.
When we left our native countries, we brought with us our cultural heritage that helped us in our flexibility, adaptability and resiliency as we continued to grow in a new environment. With mixed emotions we immersed in our new environment bringing our cultural ways of healing from food, herbs, songs, dances, stories and more.
What are some of the cultural healing ways that we brought with us?
Filipinos are good story tellers. It is a healing art in everyday life. Our work days consisted of stories of success and distress prior to leaving our country. In our new environments, we easily engage in heart to heart conversations whenever necessary. We tell stories that are meaningful to us and those around us. Story-telling provides a safe space and invites dialogue for healing. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone wants to be heard.
Healing touch is indigenous in the Philippines. Filipino hilot, simply described although not a complete description in its full meaning, is popularly known as joint-muscular manipulative techniques. Hilot includes healing in body, mind, spirit and heart through harmony with diwatas (forces of nature/deities/angels) operating from kaluwalhatian (peace). Growing up, hilot was my family’s first line of defense when we were ill. With this, migrant Filipino nurses incorporate their healing touch skills in ways that are appropriate at bedside and at home. I was incorporating it during bed bath and physical therapy assist for relaxation and alleviation of pain in addition to pain medications. Doctors were seeking hilot and would come up to the unit so I could help them. Eventually, I established my private practice in hilot and wove it with health coaching.
Our culture of awareness of guidance, protection and nurture of diwatas, Panginoon (Creator), and ninuno (ancestors) build strength of our character and give us the patience to provide love and support to all those we care for. We share the energy of inclusivity and connections with everyone we meet. Added to this is recognizing that what goes around comes around. Kindness begets kindness. Compassion begets compassion.
Filipinos are fun-loving people at work and at home. We create parties to share our cultural foods, dance and laugh with others after a hard day’s work. Play, fun, laughter, music and food are all inclusive in the healing art like indigenous healers who chant, perform a ritual, and/or suggest herbs and foods and other ways to bring about healing. We are resourceful and make the most of local foods.
Our respect for the aging population regardless of race, family ties and positions extends everywhere we go and in whatever we do. We are also comfortable in talking about death and dying like any other topic. This practice starts a ripple effect to benefit cultures like America to embrace aging and death as part of life. Our acknowledgement of our blessings and challenges prior to our migration makes it easy to practice gratitude even with our most difficult patients. These are healing arts offered by Filipino migrant nurses at every moment of their waking hours. The public can bear witness. Mabuhay!
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