[Navy Nurse]

That is correct fergus, I am NOT criticizing anybodies program. I am just stating that these foriegn nurses pass the same test the U.S. nurses pass and historically that has been the agruement presented on this board for many issues, ADN vs. BSN, etc etc.

You might as well get used to it though because foriegn nurses are going to keep on coming. I just read in a Nursing Management article where some aspects of healthcare want the government to lift the limit on foriegn nurses that are allowed to come to the states. They think the can fill all vacancies if this happens.

[lv2ski]

I really think the US needs to retain the competent nurses they
have now before recruiting from other countries. If working
conditions weren't so mediocre (at best) than the reputation
of nursing as a profession would be more inviting. The facts are,
we run our tails off with mucho responsibility on a wage that
is too close to the poverty level for comfort. Things need to
change. A band-aid solution is not what we need now.

[Diana61]

Once again I would like to repeat. There are PLENTY of nurses NOW, but not working in hospital nursing. Who told you there was a shortage? Hospitals who are want the available pool as large as posible so they don't have to work to recuit, pay, etc. SHOW ME THE NUMBERS!!!!

[lv2ski]

Originally posted by Diana61
Once again I would like to repeat. There are PLENTY of nurses NOW, but not working in hospital nursing. Who told you there was a shortage? Hospitals who are want the available pool as large as posible so they don't have to work to recuit, pay, etc. SHOW ME THE NUMBERS!!!!

Shortage? Yes, in reality, we do have decreasing numbers of nurses working in hospitals, etc., and many nurses job-jumping looking for better situations. Employers need to RETAIN the staff they now have. It is crucial.

[ClariceS]

There sure is a shortage if the nurses won't work in the hospitals, where, when I last checked, most of the most critically ill patients are. Sorry for the bit of sarcasm there but it IS a shortage. My budget allows for my day nurses to have only 4 patients apiece, my nights no more than 6 apiece. And I don't have any incentive for me to keep staffing at less than that. But my nurses now have to take at least 6 apiece on days (surgical floor) and up to 9 apiece at night because I CANNOT find nurses to hire for the postions I have open. And I am a manager that gets out and takes patients.

Whew, I'll get off my soapbox. Just a bit frustrated I guess.

[Diana61]

Clarice,
You hit the nail on the head. There is a shortage of nurses WILLING TO WORK FOR THE PAY AND CONDITIONS of hospital nursing today. There are too many other options available for smart young men and women today for them to accept the limitations put on them by today’s hospitals. This is not to say that the nurse managers aren’t doing the most they can with what they have available to them. But, more money needs to come down the pipeline for nurses salaries and to pay for staff to support them. For example, the over 40 nurses might just stay on a few extra years if they didn’t have to lift patients. Why are RN’s still lifting patients? This could easily be done by young strong lifting teams hired specifically for that purpose that are crosstrained to do other non-nursing tasks. Personally, if I was hired with the understanding that I didn’t have to lift anything over, say, 20 lbs, I would be much more inclined to return to hospital nursing. But as it is, its just too risky.
But, getting back to the original subject; if more nurses were willing to work in hospitals (see above), there would be no need to brings in large groups of nurses with foreign training. Unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, we do need nurses willing to work there. There are many, many very good (equivalent) nursing programs outside the States but also some not so good ones. If we must have foreign trained nurses we must insist on those only from quality programs with the ability to understand and be understood in both written and spoken English.

[ekl]

Hiring foreign nurses is not the answer. They just bring them into the same mess and nothing changes for you and only temporarily for them. I've nothing against these nurses. I just hate the hopelessness and helplessness I see in every nurse's face.

Why do the companies do so much advertising and offer so many perks to recruiting foreign nurses rather than putting that money into use to increase nursing salaries, improving working conditions, bedside patient care, and staffing? Which would retain the experienced nurse and provide incentives for younger people to enter nursing.

Guess what! They can get part or all of these expenses in tax write offs. Increasing nursing salaries to not provide this perk for companies. Tax write-offs is a business perk. Advertisement is a tax write-off perk. Healthcare is only a business these days. The bottom line is what counts. Empty positions and tax write offs are important to their profits.

You don't see this because it is kept well hidden by the company. They are so "poor" that you can't get paid a descent salary yet they can pay mega bucks for consultants (tax write off: you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back business) to tell them that fancy hotel like bathrooms that the visitors see are so important to future revenue and somehow they just keep on building and building, and providing all kinds of perks to physicians etc. They are all tax write-offs perks.

Just think of the junk things companies think up to "show appreciation" to employees. Ice cream socials and company picnics, which by the way only a few employees are able to partake of, are all write-off perks.

The stupidest thing I once received was a box of 1000 business cards with my name, hospital name, logo, and hospital phone number on them. A memo was distributed the previous week to all bulletin boards about not making or receiving personal calls at work. !!I was supposed to feel appreciated by receiving this!!

They pay for agency nurses rather than hire nurses. Part of this is a tax/cost benefit to the company, also. You wonder how costly agency nurses can be cheaper in the long run? Just think!
The agencies know this and that is why there are so many nursing agencies.

Thank you.

[beckymcrn]

I do think hiring nurses from different countries is our answer. Why not recruit nurses right here in our own back yard. I am not sure how to do this exactly but I am sure if we put our heads together we as NURSES could come up with the answer together!

[rninformatics]

"Should the U.S. recruit nurses from other countries?"
No. There is no need to recruit nurses from other countries when we have well trained and experienced nurses right here in the USA. If healthcare organizations would improve salaries, benefits and the quality of the work environment i.e. appropriate nurse patient ratios, flex time, etc. there would be no nursing shortage.

[rbart]

Law of supply and demand. There is a large supply of nursing skills available from foreign countries. Whether we like it or not, hospitals will tap this supply to stay competitive in the business world. This has been the trend over the years.
But I've noticed the innovative move of some nurses during the 90's. We now have nurses in politics, information technology, etc. I believe that these new breed of nursing professionals will bring forth a positive impact in the security of the nursing profession. Do I mean better salary? Check out my opening statement for this posting. Hope that helps answer the question.