Aim: To explore the reasons for Italian midwives' decision to migrate, and their lived professional and emotional experiences.
Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted recruiting Italian midwives who were working abroad in European countries. We offered a telephone or web interview. Two researchers conducted, audio-recorded, and fully transcribed the interviews and other two researchers, independently, performed a content analysis.
Results: Thirty-two midwives having professional experiences in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain were interviewed. Five themes emerged: 1) Education, 2) Migration decision-making, 3) Professional experience abroad, 4) Midwives' perceptions of their role, 5) Satisfaction versus desire to return. Our findings show a general dissatisfaction with Italian job opportunities in terms both of access to employment and work conditions. This scenario is complicated by the status of the professional midwifery in Italy.
Conclusion: Stakeholders should ensure that the migration of Italian midwives is not synonymous with dispersion but is a channel of professional growth and mutual exchange.
Keywords: Midwifery; Midwives; human migration; professional autonomy; qualitative research.