The Rockefeller Agenda for American/Philippines Nursing Relations

Abstract

The Philippines leads all countries in global nurse emigration. Today, Filipino nurses represent over 75% of the foreign nurse laborforce recruited to and working in American hospitals, most of which are inner-city municipally operated institutions with reported shortages of nursing personnel. This article examines the historical roots of the American/Philippines nursing relationship more generally and the particular role of the Rockefeller Foundation in the 20th-century emigration patterns and work practices of Filipino nurses. Examination of one group of nurse workers enhances an understanding of the ways in which social, cultural, economic, and political factors influence broader health care decisions.