This paper documents an exploratory meeting organized by the Pan American Health Organization, that gathered nurses from countries of Latin America, who identified the shortage and migration tendencies as an emerging area in need of investigation. The exploratory meeting was conducted under the direction of the Regional Advisor on Nursing and Allied Health Personnel at the Pan American Health Organization in collaboration with the nursing leadership of Latin America.

Fifteen of the 19 Latin American Countries participated in the meeting including:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. All agreed that documentation was needed concerning the shortage and migration of nurses including its causes and effects, the distribution of professional nurses, and available public policies to support the needs of professional nurses in Latin America (AU).