Nurse Migration in Newspaper Reports: The Role of Media and Its Impact on Public Opinion Over the Last Five Years

This study aims to retrospectively examine how the concept of nurse migration is portrayed in national newspaper reports. The research covers online news articles related to "nursing and migration" published between January 1, 2019, and August 1, 2024, in the digital archives of the five highest-circulation newspapers: Sözcü, Hürriyet, Sabah, Milliyet, and Posta. These archives were accessed using keywords such as "nurse migration, nurse brain drain, nurse migration abroad, nurse transfer abroad." The study population includes all nursing-related news articles published in these five newspapers during the specified period, while the sample consists of 7 articles focused on nursing and migration. A content analysis guide, developed by the researchers with 8 questions, was used to analyze the news content. The guide covered aspects such as news type, tone (positive/negative impact on readers), source, content, public opinion impact, photo presence, relevance of the photo, and main topics. Quantitative data were evaluated using frequency and percentage, and qualitative data through thematic analysis. Among the analyzed news, 42.8% were from Hürriyet, 57.1% involved migration policy or economics, and 42.8% had a negative tone. All were sourced from agencies or reporters, 71.4% lacked scientific content, 85.7% informed public opinion, and 85.7% included relevant photos. The main topics of 71.4% were related to Germany's demand for qualified migrant workers. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: migration status assessment, demand for migrant nurses, and incentive policies. In conclusion, nurse migration appeared in a limited number of articles, which primarily informed the public about nurse migration and related policies.