Influence of Socio-Cognitive Factors on Intention to Emigrate among Nurses Working in Nakuru County, Kenya
Abstract
Nurse emigration is the process by which nurses move from their home country to another country in search of better job opportunities, higher salaries, improved working conditions, and international experience. In Kenya, nurse emigration is a growing challenge often attributed to deficits in Human Resource Standards. This high level of emigration imposes additional costs on the government and taxpayers due to repeated training cycles and disruptions in the delivery of quality healthcare services. Beyond HR-related factors, demographic, psychological, and psychosocial dimensions also play a critical role. Understanding these factors in conjunction with HR standards is essential for improving healthcare delivery and workforce stability. This study investigated nurses’ intention to migrate within the context of Nakuru County, Kenya. It involved a sample of 150 nurses employed across seventeen health facilities in the Nakuru West Sub-County. Guided by Social Cognitive theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional design to explore the effects of socio-cognitive factors on emigration intention. Results revealed that 80.7% (n=150) of nurses firmly intend to emigrate, with 74.7%(n=150) already enrolled in immigration processes. The United States was the most preferred destination, followed by the United Kingdom (18.7%, n=150), Australia (10.7%, n=150), and Canada (4.7%, n=150). Socio-cognitive factors significantly influenced emigration intention: motivation (β = 0.353, p < .05), attention (β = 0.346, p < .05), and self-efficacy (β = 0.348, p < .05). These variables explained a substantial portion of the variance in emigration intention, underscoring their predictive strength. These findings highlight the urgent need to address cognitive determinants of nurse emigration to reduce emigration intention.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mercy Chepkemoi Koech, Samuel Mulongo, Vincent Kiprono Mukthar
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