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

I don't understand why anyone wants to argue the issue of a shortage. If there are not enough nurses working there is a shortage.

i'm a canadian nurse, and hospitals in the southern us (meaning, anything not along the US-Canada border) recruit canadian nurses heavily. they pay us top dollar. i had the opportunity to talk to several recruiters at my school and they say it's bc canadian nursing students (at least, at the university i go to, McMaster) are better trained than students in the states. so maybe the problem isn't a nursing shortage.....maybe it's the actual programs in the schools.

i for one plan on working in the states for the first few years after i graduate. many hospitals offer graduating canadian students huuuge signing bonuses, great benefits, and great salaries. i could pay off my student loan just from the signing bonus. ($15,000 US). i know several students who have done this.

Because the word 'shortage' implies a gross oversimplification. It implies a solution of 'crank out more new grads and the problem will be solved.' .

One could say we have a 'shortage' of ditchdiggers too...but I prefer to say the work is difficult, tiresome and doesn't pay.... thus not many aspire to a ditchdigging career ...much closer to the truth, IMO.

Could you split the hair a little more puhlease! That is like saying we don't have a gas shortage we have an oil shortage! Yes we do have a nursing shortage, even though there are more than one hundred thousand licensed nurses that are not currently working that creates a nursing shortage, if they are not working as nurses.

I don't understand why anyone wants to argue the issue of a shortage. If there are not enough nurses working there is a shortage. Many of the nurses that continue to have a license will never return for reasons such as having married a Doctor, or someone else with enough money to support them, it's like a hairdresser, even though you have no intention of returning to work it is prudent to keep your license updated and valid because one never knows what might happen.

My facility just did a recruitment to India. I spoke to my manager about this and she only had two postions for CCU but they were looking to fill only like 25 positions. This to me seems excessive. The money spent to recruit 25 nurses when wage increases could likely entice 25 nurses they are using as agency to come on staff.

Have to wonder if these hospitals are offering US trained nurses the same kinds of bonuses -- I know we aren't offering anything THAT high!!!

I also voted no. I have no issue with nurses coming to this country on their own volition. I have a problem though, with hospitals spending the cash to bring them here. If they focused on retention rather than recruitment, a difference might be seen.

Why NOT spend the cash to improve nurse-patient ratios & working conditions with local staff rather than recruit from overseas to fill the positions? If they're going to spend money after all, why not spend it to help the nurses & patients here.

Besides, the other countries need their nurses, too!

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!!!!!

TRYING NOT TO SOUND JADED...BUT YOU ARE 19....OH MY, WHAT YOU HAVE TO LEARN. THE ONE AND ONLY TIME I TOOK A SIGN ON BONUS I DID NOT FINISH MY YEAR. AT THE END OF THE 6 MONTHS I WAS OUT OF THERE, AS THE REASON FOR THE SIGN ON BONUS BECAME VERY CLEAR, VERY SOON! IT WAS DANGEROUS FOR PATIENTS AND STAFF ALIKE. GOOD LUCK TO YOU SARAH.......HOPE FOR YOUR SAKE IT TURNS OUT LIKE "THE RECRUITERS" HAVE PICTURED IT....AS FAR AS CANADIAN NURSES BEING BETTER TRAINED......??WHO KNOWS....I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TOLD AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO BE TRUE CAN BE TWO DIFFERENT PICTURES

I also have taken one sign on bonus job. I t was to be given in three increments over a year period. I couldn't even make it to the first installment which was only 3 months. I tried but I just couldn't do it. I was outta there! :hatparty:

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.