Ireland and Britain are more reliant on nurses from overseas than any other developed nation, according to a study published today.
The two countries are also the most reliant on recruiting nurses from developing countries, particularly the Philippines in recent years.
The three-year study found the root of the international problem of nursing shortages was countries' failures to train and keep enough staff of their own to meet demand.
The drain of nurses has had a major negative impact on exporter countries, it found.
It affects remaining staff and leads to a drop in the level and quality of services and specialist nursing skills.
The study, entitled International Nurse Mobility: Trends and Policy Implications, was jointly commissioned by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Britain.
It focused on five major importers of nurses; the Ireland, Britain, United States, Australia and Norway, plus four major exporter countries; South Africa, Ghana, the Caribbean and the Philippines.