[brian]

This month's survey Question:

Should nurses from other countries be recruited to aid in the nursing shortage?

Please take a minute to take answer our survey and please feel free to reply to this topic to post any comments that you may have on the topic.

[TiffyRN]

Once more we don't have a nursing shortage in the US, we have a shortage of WORKING nurses. Other countries are in no better shape with their nursing situations. I guess companies/hospitals will continue to do it though because they can, we have the financial muscle to attract the nurses.

I welcome our foreign nurses, I love working with them, they bring different ideas and experiences that I enjoy. I don't think we should restrict them coming into our country like some, just don't support recruiting efforts.

[Darlene K.]

I don't have a problem with foreign nurses coming here to work. But I do feel that the funding used to recruit them should be invested in american citizens that would like the opportunity to go to nursing school but can't afford to.

[gingerzoe]

I, also, do not feel the united states has a nursing shortage. If hospitals and other health care facilities would up the pay, benefits and staffing, there would be nurses coming out of everywhere. No I do not believe they should recruit from other countries. Lets do something original: TAKE CARE OF THE NURSES WE HAVE HERE!!!!!

[mfdteacher]

Hospital Administrators, Nursing organizations, and Nursing schools are all well aware that there is no shortage. Nurses are working in other fields everywhere, they just refuse to work in hospitals. Short staffing, cost cutting, being bought and sold by "hospital corporations", being berated about the budget, productivity, and "Oh, by the way, can you work overtime", all contribute to nurses leaving hospitals. What about 12 hour shifts which have been proven in umpteen studies to contribute to errors and poor care? Do the hospitals really believe that we don't understand that two 12 hour shifts means paying one less set of benefits for the third shift that would work 8 hour shifts? We do not need foreign nurses, we need to address the problems imposed by the system currently in place. As long as the dollar is more important than the patient, we'll never go back to the hospital.

[katmndu224]

MFD Teacher....why do you assume that a hospital setting is the only place a nurse works?? There are shortages of working RN's in ALL practice settings, not just in a hospital.

I am sure your comments came from the heart and I appreciate that but where do the nurses go when they leave the hospitals?? I put in my 15 months right out of nursing school and moved right into home care where I have been for the past 12 years.

Just a few thoughts...

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by mfdteacher

Hospital Administrators, Nursing organizations, and Nursing schools are all well aware that there is no shortage. Nurses are working in other fields everywhere, they just refuse to work in hospitals. Short staffing, cost cutting, being bought and sold by "hospital corporations", being berated about the budget, productivity, and "Oh, by the way, can you work overtime", all contribute to nurses leaving hospitals. What about 12 hour shifts which have been proven in umpteen studies to contribute to errors and poor care? Do the hospitals really believe that we don't understand that two 12 hour shifts means paying one less set of benefits for the third shift that would work 8 hour shifts? We do not need foreign nurses, we need to address the problems imposed by the system currently in place. As long as the dollar is more important than the patient, we'll never go back to the hospital.

mfdteacher, I agree with you totally. I know several excellent RNs whom have left nursing and now work in a flower shop, a cinnamon bun shop, a vet's office, etc. It's all because of working conditions and the way we are treated.

There is no flippin shortage.

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by katmndu224

MFD Teacher....why do you assume that a hospital setting is the only place a nurse works?? There are shortages of working RN's in ALL practice settings, not just in a hospital.

I am sure your comments came from the heart and I appreciate that but where do the nurses go when they leave the hospitals?? I put in my 15 months right out of nursing school and moved right into home care where I have been for the past 12 years.

Just a few thoughts...

katmndu-

The major area of nursing that nurses have left and are leaving is the hospital setting.

I work in a clinic, and we just hired 8 RNs, most of whom have ER/ICU backgrounds. They all took big pay cuts to work w/ us, and I've asked them why they left the hospital setting. Same answer from all- WORKING CONDITIONS.

The hospitals here are recruiting all over the place. My clinic, however, has far more nursing applicants than we have jobs for.
There is a surplus of nurses in my area, It's a small city with several nursing schools nearby. Yet, the hospitals say they can't find any nurses. BS! They just don't want to work there.

It is no piece of cake in the dialysis clinic, but having worked med-surg myself, I can tell you that the work is doable. It certainly wasn't in the hospital.

[mfdteacher]

Katmandu224,
I must have mislead you. I am well aware that not all nurses work in hospitals, but I'd bet that is where the majority of nursing positions are. My wife (also a nurse) and I both choose to work as nurses and not in a hospital, but we are both treated with respect for what we do, have reasonable hours, reasonable pay, good patient contact, and are bosses regularly compliment us on our work. I still do some registry shifts in a busy ER on my off time. So I am also still aware of the hospital side of nursing and all I can think of is "How in the world did I do that for so long, these poor staff people are getting beat up on a daily basis"?

[odatrn]

mfdteacher wrote:

We do not need foreign nurses, we need to address the problems imposed by the system currently in place. As long as the dollar is more important than the patient, we'll never go back to the hospital.

You said it best! I don't mind being mindful of the budget crisis in health care, but let the doctors shoulder some of the responsibility in the situation. As for foreign nurses? We are a town of 36,000 and have a community college close by that has ADN and an LPN programs. It is the only thing that keeps our shortage at bay.