Survey: Should nurses from other countries be recruited to aid in the nursing shortag

Rep · Jun 5, 2004

With the number of ex-pat Fillipina nurses working in Australia and elsewhere, supply within your country must be diminishing. Do the Phillipine public know that there is a nursing drain from the Phillipines?

Actually, there are lots of nurses here but they can not find work in the hospitals because there are no openings. I myself is a BSN-RN but I am not working as one.

lifeisbeautiful · Jun 10, 2004

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

This is a really tough question and difficult to answer. First, if there are so many people getting laid off in other fields, why are they not being offered a chance with vocational rehab involving nursing? A free education! Wow! Or are they being offered the opportunity, but see how difficult this field can be and don't want to chance it. I just read an article that stated that 2 out of 10 RNs plan to leave the field this year! That is a very high turn-over. In the same report, 40% of nurses reported job dissatisfaction. In the magazine Working Nurse, they completed a 3-part series on 'Demotivation in the Nursing Profession'. They then stated that they were saddened that the article hit such a nerve with the RN's of the community. This is the problem with nursing. Many people try to sugar-coat this career, then act surprised when people are unhappy. I do not think bringing in foreign workers is the answer. As a white woman, I am a minority at the hospital where I work. I work with many foreign nurses that are sooo thankful to be in this county that they skip breaks, lunches and stay late (often without pay which is illegal). So when I stand up for my rights that I am entitled to, I look like an ungrateful *****. Their English is poor, so guess who gets stuck working with the MDs that are difficult? ME!! The doctors' complain to the hospital that the language barrier is dangerous, but the hospital doesn't care. I love working with many of the Registery and Travel Nurses, but it is unfair that we are doing the same job (actually, as staff, we do a lot more work), but they get paid $20-$30 more an hour!! I feel it creates an underlying resentment for the staff nurses. Hospitals need to treat the staff that is loyal, first and focus on retention!! I know many nurses that move from hospital to hospital every year or two just for the great bonuses! Oh, and if you cannot find a job as a RN, come to Southern California...there are tons of openings :)

Sundowner · Jun 10, 2004

My experience with foriegn nurses:

I work for a corp. that about two years ago decided to bring over about 20 nurses from two different countries. They shacked them up and paid their rent for a year....paid them more than what they pay the regular staff..bent over backwards to keep their whiny butts happy.....not ONE of them were able to pass the PA state boards...so guess what.....none of them can afford their rent anymore. Their spouses and children that they brought with them (we paid for that too) speak next to no english and cant find a job .....theses nurses cant even pass the CNA tests, so they have taken huge pay cuts to go and work in the kitchens with their non english speaking spouses.

My facility is back to all english speaking, knowledgable, patient friendly,nurses..there is no more jibberish being spoken in the hallways, but sadly I fear that these recruits we spent so much money on are going to end up needing our goverments assistance to stay afloat over here.

I am not for recruitment by any means. My experience with foriegn nurses has been nothing but bad, as has my patients experiences with them.

mamabear · Jun 10, 2004

Guys, Guys, Guys! people from different countries do not think like we think. It may be a 'cultural crevase' too wide to work in. Experience tells me that the efforts should be made on two groups; new nurses and old nurses. Treat new with care (don't tell a newly dx cancer patient he is going to die). Treat old like they are special (they want to know from you that they are or they will leave). Everyone wants to stay on the job. A pat on the back by those they work with goes a long way. grizfan

My sentiments exactly! Are we all too P.C. to discuss cultural differences (by foreign, I mean non-North American)? :uhoh3:

suzanne4, RN · Jun 11, 2004

My experience with foriegn nurses:
I work for a corp. that about two years ago decided to bring over about 20 nurses from two different countries. They shacked them up and paid their rent for a year....paid them more than what they pay the regular staff..bent over backwards to keep their whiny butts happy.....not ONE of them were able to pass the PA state boards...so guess what.....none of them can afford their rent anymore. Their spouses and children that they brought with them (we paid for that too) speak next to no english and cant find a job .....theses nurses cant even pass the CNA tests, so they have taken huge pay cuts to go and work in the kitchens with their non english speaking spouses.
My facility is back to all english speaking, knowledgable, patient friendly,nurses..there is no more jibberish being spoken in the hallways, but sadly I fear that these recruits we spent so much money on are going to end up needing our goverments assistance to stay afloat over here.
I am not for recruitment by any means. My experience with foriegn nurses has been nothing but bad, as has my patients experiences with them.

This is why I have never liked or approved of the temporary work permits.

Now to work in the US, the nurse must pass either CGFNS or NCLEX, as well as the series of English exams before being given a visa to work in the US as a permanent resident. Apparently your company was more concerned with the number of bodies that they could get and not doing things properly.

Did they ever even fly over and interview these nurses in person, or were they just looking at paperwork. English skills must be similar to those of a native English speaker. And sorry to say, but my students have better writing skills from many of the posts that I see here.

fergus51 · Jun 11, 2004

My sentiments exactly! Are we all too P.C. to discuss cultural differences (by foreign, I mean non-North American)?

I don't think it's a matter of being PC or not. I just think that foreign born nurses are often an asset too, not just a drain. We have a lot of foreign born patients. Seems to me that having some foreign born nurses who think differently could be helpful sometimes.

missmercy · Jun 11, 2004

We have recently hired some nurses from India -- the company that hired them "let" my facility buy out their contract. They are highly intelligent women! Passed the grueling English exams and the NCLEX. Ther English is correct -- however, the accents are so strong that it is extremely difficult to understand them!! While they have anaverage of 12 years of "nursing" in India, they are rather unfamiliar with our acceptable medical practices: sterile fields and techniques, high tech apparatus etc. They have reported that where they worked in India, only doctors did assessments. The nurse's job was to pass meds(fo 30-50 pts), while pt's families did baths, dressing changes, feeding etc. We bought out the contract after the company assured us that these were skilled nurses ( 1 short interview w/ an HR person) -- now it is my job to assist in their orientation process. I think they are great gals!! They REALLY want to have things work out here -- "because it's America" -- but I have some real concerns about how well they will be able to communicate with co-workers, physicians ( that will probably not be too bad since a HUGE portion of our Dr.s are -- Indian), and most of all patients. They will primarily be working with older folks -- HOH, confused, post ops. I'ld love to say that I am sure they willl do fantastically, but I am not sure at this point. We are investing 5 weeks into their orientation, prior to a month w/ a preceptor on their unit -- days, then a couple of weeks w/ a preceptor on their unit- nights, so there is some serious pressure to make sure they do well......... hope so! they are SO thrilled to be here and really want to do well..... and all the cultural things too -----

suzanne4, RN · Jun 11, 2004

In most of the Asian countries, Thailand included, the doctors are responsible for doing the assessment, not the nurse. And if your nurses are under a contract, and there were quite a few brought over, chances are it was under an H1-B visa that required only the TOEFL exam. Especially if they are already on your unit.....they were brought over before the deadline. With very heavy accents, they will not pass the TSE or the speaking part of the IELTS. Everyone needs to understand them.

Perhaps your hospital can institute some type of specailized training program, including US culture, US hospital culture, as well as the American diet into thier training. Usually just a brief review of sterile technique is required, as well as proper 'etiquette' as far as IM injections, etc., administration of oral medications to a patient who may be confused or have swollowing difficulties.

Paperwork is usually the easiest because most have similar charting if they were from a larger facility. You also may want to go over proper use of a stethscope, something that we take for granted.

If you have any other needs please let me know. :balloons:

BaystateRN · Jun 11, 2004

Absolutely not, nurses should not be recruited from other countries. We had a big influx of nurses in the 80's come from all over the world. It didn't solve any nursing shortage then. It took quite a while for some to assimilate into our way of nursing and of health care in general. If nurses were not so stressed on the job, they may work more hours and may encourage others including their own children to become nurses. I, for one, am tired of companies using foreign workers to supplement staffing or replace staffing.

chronicTX · Jun 11, 2004

why not? :rolleyes: i am a foreign nurse ( soon to work in a dialysis center somewhere in tx), and it's a great opportunity for us to be recognized as globally competitive nurses. please don't look at us like we're stealing somebody else's careers. :uhoh3: it's sad that your own nurses give up their jobs due to "unfavorable working conditions". then what do you think it will make us feel? :chair: it's scary, but we are offered jobs to fill in with the gaps. it's more sad for us because the best nurses from our country are the ones who gets recruited and the process is gruesome. our healthcare delivery system is greatly compromised. even our doctors leave their jobs here to study as nurses just to work there. it may be pathetic, but it's happening.... :scrying:

1BlessedRN · Jun 11, 2004

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.

I totally AGREE!!!!

Rep · Jun 12, 2004

It's interesting to know that some posts are against foreign nurses but one has to know what is the real issue concerning the "nursing shortage."

In my previous post, I said and I am saying it again. FOREIGN NURSES ARE NOT TAKING AWAY YOUR JOBS. IT IS THE KIND OF CORPORATE HEALTH SYSTEM YOU HAVE THAT GIVES US THE JOBS!

STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT FOREIGN NURSES GOING TO AMERICA AND START COMPLAINING ABOUT THE KIND OF CORPORATE HEALTH SYSTEM YOU HAVE. And do something about it. Assert your right as nurses who want to have a favorable working conditions, no overtime and for higher pay. Instead most leave the nursing profession for another career where the pay is better and the condition is comfortable. By doing this, hospitals will hire foreign nurses to fill the gaps thereby leaving no incentives to improve the "working condition" to entice American nurses to come back. Because they know foreign nurses are willing to work on "working conditions" not favorable to American nurses.

You can not blame us, foreign nurses, for wanting to have the American dream. Even if it takes to work overtime, work on night shifts, etc just to achieve that dream. Don't look on us but look on your employers and ask why.