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.
Education ; Employment ; Female ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Professional Practice Location ; Remuneration ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Schools, Nursing

PURPOSE: To examine geographical imbalances by analyzing new graduate nurses' migration patterns among regions where they grew up, attended nursing school, and had their first employment and to identify factors related to working in non-metropolitan areas. METHODS: The sample consisted of 507 new graduates working in hospitals as full-time registered nurses in South Korea. Migration patterns were categorized into 5 patterns based on sequential transitions of "geographic origin-nursing school-hospital." Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with working in non-metropolitan hospitals. RESULTS: Nurses who grew up, graduated, and worked in the same region accounted for the greatest proportion (54%). Sixty-five percent had their first employment in the region where they graduated. Nurses tended to move from poor to rich regions and from non-metropolitan to metropolitan areas. Working in non-metropolitan hospitals was related to older age, the father having completed less than 4 years of college education, non-metropolitan origin, non-capital city school graduation, and a diploma (vs. baccalaureate) degree. CONCLUSION: Admitting students with rural backgrounds, increasing rural nursing school admission capacities, and providing service-requiring scholarships, particularly for students from low-income families, are recommended to address geographical imbalances.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Employment ; Female ; Hospitals, Rural ; Hospitals, Urban ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Poverty ; Professional Practice Location