. Recruitment of foreign nurses under temporary recognition in Piedmont: evolution of migration flows and transformation of the healthcare labor market (2020-2026). Introduction. The shortage of nurses is one of the major challenges facing European healthcare systems. During the covid-19 pandemic, Italy introduced emergency regulations allowing temporary professional practice for foreign healthcare workers without completion of the ordinary national recognition process. Aim. To describe the evolution of foreign nurse recruitment in the Piedmont Region (Italy) between 2020 and 2026, and to compare these flows with historical migration patterns and professional register data. Methods. A retrospective analysis of the data from the Piedmont Regional Registry of Temporary Healthcare Professionals. Available variables included profession, country of origin, qualification, and date of application. Geographical origin and temporal trends were analyzed and compared with the register of the Nursing Professional Board of Turin (OPI Torino). Results. Between March 2020 and May 2026, 2,183 nurses entered Piedmont through temporary recognition procedures, compared with 1,439 foreign nurses registered during the previous thirty years. The geographical composition changed dramatically: European professionals decreased from 86.1% among historically registered nurses to 39.4% among temporarily authorized professionals, while African, Asian and South American flows increased substantially. Tunisia, India and Brazil showed the most significant growth. The number of regional authorization resolutions progressively increased after the transformation of the emergency regulation into a structural workforce policy. Conclusions. Temporary recognition procedures profoundly changed international nurse migration patterns in Piedmont. The rapid expansion of recruitment from non-European countries raises organizational, ethical and professional concerns, including transparency of recruitment agencies, professional qualification assessment and potential worker exploitation. International recruitment cannot replace long-term workforce policies aimed at improving salaries and professional attractiveness for nurses in Italy.
Importazione di infermieri con riconoscimento in deroga in Piemonte: evoluzione dei flussi migratori e trasformazione del mercato del lavoro sanitario (2020-2026)
Bufalo, IvanFirst
Membro del Collaboration Group
;Casabona, Elena
Last
Membro del Collaboration Group
2026-01-01
Abstract
. Recruitment of foreign nurses under temporary recognition in Piedmont: evolution of migration flows and transformation of the healthcare labor market (2020-2026). Introduction. The shortage of nurses is one of the major challenges facing European healthcare systems. During the covid-19 pandemic, Italy introduced emergency regulations allowing temporary professional practice for foreign healthcare workers without completion of the ordinary national recognition process. Aim. To describe the evolution of foreign nurse recruitment in the Piedmont Region (Italy) between 2020 and 2026, and to compare these flows with historical migration patterns and professional register data. Methods. A retrospective analysis of the data from the Piedmont Regional Registry of Temporary Healthcare Professionals. Available variables included profession, country of origin, qualification, and date of application. Geographical origin and temporal trends were analyzed and compared with the register of the Nursing Professional Board of Turin (OPI Torino). Results. Between March 2020 and May 2026, 2,183 nurses entered Piedmont through temporary recognition procedures, compared with 1,439 foreign nurses registered during the previous thirty years. The geographical composition changed dramatically: European professionals decreased from 86.1% among historically registered nurses to 39.4% among temporarily authorized professionals, while African, Asian and South American flows increased substantially. Tunisia, India and Brazil showed the most significant growth. The number of regional authorization resolutions progressively increased after the transformation of the emergency regulation into a structural workforce policy. Conclusions. Temporary recognition procedures profoundly changed international nurse migration patterns in Piedmont. The rapid expansion of recruitment from non-European countries raises organizational, ethical and professional concerns, including transparency of recruitment agencies, professional qualification assessment and potential worker exploitation. International recruitment cannot replace long-term workforce policies aimed at improving salaries and professional attractiveness for nurses in Italy.
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