[Hellllllo Nurse]

Here is an eye-opening statistic: 40% of all US nurses are foreign-born.

(http://www.aarp.org/research/interna...icy_forum.html)

In fact, the fastest growing group among the RN work force are foreign-born nurses, not US-born nurses.

(http://healthaffairs.org/press/novdec0301.htm)

Here is a table that demonstrates the impact: (http://www.ailf.org/ipc/ipf031104.asp):

[ljds]

I couldn't getthat last link to work.

I am skeptical of the 40% of all nurses are foreign born statistic. I'm not sure that is what it is saying, and I don't see it in my area. I wonder if the include anxillary nursing staff (aides, etc) in that statistic. I couldn't find any hard numbers on either of those sites.

But I do believe that we have a higher number of foreign born nurses. A number of reasons; our nursing shortage, immigrants hopefully finding it easier to obtain an education being the two main ones I can think of.

[pickledpepperRN]

It is too complicated. I don't know enough to have an opinion. Nurses come the the US and other countries to work and send money home.
US retired nurses volunteer there.
I know a nurse from an African country who plans to retire after her son graduates from medical school. Then she plans to volunteer in her birth country part of the year. She is an American now.
http://www.nurseweek.com/news/featur...06/global.html
...500 Ghanaian nurses went abroad last year—more than double the number of nurses who graduated, according to a January report in the Wall Street Journal....
..."With what they have to work with there, it was a remarkable job they did," said Ann Rood, RN, a retired nurse from Chico, Calif., who volunteered in Prampram, a small coastal village in Ghana....

[fergus51]

I'm one of them. And quite sick of all the "foreigners are the problem with nursing" people.

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by ljds

I couldn't getthat last link to work.

I am skeptical of the 40% of all nurses are foreign born statistic. I'm not sure that is what it is saying, and I don't see it in my area. I wonder if the include anxillary nursing staff (aides, etc) in that statistic. I couldn't find any hard numbers on either of those sites.

But I do believe that we have a higher number of foreign born nurses. A number of reasons; our nursing shortage, immigrants hopefully finding it easier to obtain an education being the two main ones I can think of.

I have worked in a nursing home and a med surg unit where I was the only US born staff member.
All other staff members were Filipino.

I know other nurses who have been in this situation as well.
I believe the stats.
I have only worked w/ 1 Filipino aide, but have worked w/ scores of Filipino nurses.

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by fergus51

I'm one of them. And quite sick of all the "foreigners are the problem with nursing" people.

fergus,

I am simply posting links to some articles which address situations in nursing. Nowhere in this post or the articles does anyone say or imply "foreigners are the problem."

It is my opinion that employers, the healthcare industry, and nurses themselves that are the problem.


We can't ignore what is going on in our field because some may be sensitive to the issues.

That would be like saying no one should question Bush, because it makes some people uncomfortable.

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by ljds

I couldn't getthat last link to work.

I am skeptical of the 40% of all nurses are foreign born statistic. I'm not sure that is what it is saying, and I don't see it in my area. I wonder if the include anxillary nursing staff (aides, etc) in that statistic. I couldn't find any hard numbers on either of those sites.

But I do believe that we have a higher number of foreign born nurses. A number of reasons; our nursing shortage, immigrants hopefully finding it easier to obtain an education being the two main ones I can think of.

The numbers and stats are in the AARP article, the first link.

[ljds]

I could be blind. I just see where it states that number without giving much detail, like when and how the numbers were collected, what sort of nurses they are referring to (all, only RN, all nursing staff including ancillary?), that sort of thing. I just skimmed the article again, and still didn't see that info.

FWIW, I don't think it is good or bad; it's just interesting. I would also like to see the breakdown by state; percentage of foreign born population in the different areas, and the breakdown of how many of the foreign born nurses went to nursing school in another country vs nursing school here.

Loir

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Originally Posted by fergus51

I'm one of them. And quite sick of all the "foreigners are the problem with nursing" people.

Ok, maybe it's my drugs, but i'm not seeing where any of those links or the OP even suggested "foreigners are the problem with nursing."

Although it's only a matter of time before someone comes along and makes that remark. Here's hoping it doesn't happen.

[Kireri]

40% ??
That is a large number, and I am not sure that I agree with it. In the midwest, I certainly do not think the numbers are that high. 1 Canadian, 1 Phillipino, 1 Ethiopian. hmmmm, that is 3 of 70 employees. Maybe the numbers are higher on the coasts.