Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

Apr 28, 2009 02:13 PM

by Danih3000

I was watching Fox and Friends this morning and they had a report about the 135,000 unfilled nursing positions open in the US. They talked about the projection that by 2015 there will be a 500,000 person shortage and that US schools don't have enough faculty to accept all the applicants they get each year. They also talked with a recruiter who was pushing for legislation to make it easier for foreign nurses to come here and fill those jobs. What they didn't talk about was the hiring freezes and the lack of hiring of new grads that is going on right now. I emailed them to point out that they missed this aspect of the story. 135,000 unfilled positions and they won't fill them with new grads! It seems to me that the legislation that needs to occur would be to ensure that US citizens get these jobs not foreign nurses. No offense to nurses from other countries, I'm sure you are good people who are very qualified but this country is in an economic crisis and we CANNOT allow these jobs to go to foreign workers when there are new grads who are citizens who can't get a job.

If you are concerned about this write to your Representatives, Senators and Governor and make sure they know the real situation. I think many of the people "in charge" are unaware that new grads are being turned away from jobs because they don't have that "one year of experience". We need to take care of our own citizens first!

Danih3000 · Apr 28, 2009, 03:11 PM

Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

Did anyone else see Fox & friends report on the nursing shortage this morning? They said there are currently 135,000 unfilled nursing positions in the US. They also spoke with a woman (I assume she's a recruiter) who is trying to get legislation passed to make it easier to hire foreign nurses to fill these positions. I have a real problem with this because those positions should be going to new grads who are US citizens first. I keep seeing that new grads can't find jobs because they lack experience. No offense to any nurses from other countries but it seems to me that our own new grads should be employed first before we allow foreign nurses to make up the difference.

I think we need to make our elected officials aware of what the real state of nursing is not this media created delusion. I think there really is a shortage but the hospitals, like everyone else, are tightening thier purse strings. We need to make sure our legislators know that there are new grads trying to get into these unfilled positions but they are not being given the chance. Send your governor, representative and senators an email and let them know! They should make incentives available to hospitals for hiring new grads not make it easier to hire foreign workers!

FutureRNat52 · Apr 28, 2009, 10:16 PM

Re: Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

Couldn't agree more!

SkySoldier · Apr 28, 2009, 10:17 PM

Re: Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

Thank you for bringing this topic up. I am extremely frustrated with the situation I am in right now. I am a new graduate and I can't find a job anywhere. No one in the class before me or my class has been able to find a job. There are tons of RN slots out there but they won't hire new grads. Every hospital in the Seattle area has cancelled its residency programs which was the new grads only way to gain employment to become experienced. Every day I see something on the news about how the economy is so bad and the best career field to go into is nursing. I thought for sure, over the past two years of school I would have a job anywhere, especially with 6 years of military service as a medic. Nope. Swedish, one of the largest employers in the area is going to the Philipines to bring in nurses. I can save them a plane ticket if they would just give me chance. Why are new grads so horrible that they would rather hold positions open for months on end instead of putting some time and energy into a new grad? I have even looked at all of the correction facilities in the area. I have applied everywhere for any type of nursing position created and nothing. I wish I knew what the media was talking about or they could tell me where these nursing jobs are at. Sorry for the rant, but I am frustrated and you hit the nail on the head.

*TurnLeftSide* · Apr 28, 2009, 10:39 PM

Re: Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

You know what I wouldnt normally say this and no offense to foreign nurses but my fear is that if they continue to bring in foreign nurses, the pay for nurses now will be lower. Maybe it's just an irrational fear I have. I work with a lot of foreign nurses, they are great but they will work under any condition even if it is unsafe, this is what I experienced at my last job, not saying that its like that everywhere. Maybe someone can put my fears at ease.

And I agree. These jobs that need to be filled need to be filled by U.S. educated graduates first. The recruiters don't care about the shortage, they just want the money they receive when they get a nurse hired into a hospital.

astn · Apr 28, 2009, 10:56 PM

Re: Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

I'm pretty sure that recruiters actually make -more- when they hire a foreign grad into a position. While Americans are going to be more wary of "deals" with an agency, not willing to give up as much, pay fees, etc, that is par for the course for a foreigner trying to get a job in the U.S. Many times their only option to get a job in the U.S. is to pay someone to help them get here, though that is only what I've heard from a few people and would be -happy- to hear I'm wrong.

*Sand_Dollar* · Apr 28, 2009, 10:59 PM

Re: Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

Email Fox and Friends and tell them! If they hear from real nurses and students facing job freezes, perhaps they will see this woman had an agenda. The last thing we need now are more foreign nurses, we need jobs for the nurses and students already here.

Chose Fox and friends from the drop down list and tell them the truth!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html

(stepping down off my soapbox)

DIC Harwould · Apr 28, 2009, 11:22 PM

Re: Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

Originally Posted by Danih3000

Did anyone else see Fox & friends report on the nursing shortage this morning? They said there are currently 135,000 unfilled nursing positions in the US. They also spoke with a woman (I assume she's a recruiter) who is trying to get legislation passed to make it easier to hire foreign nurses to fill these positions. I have a real problem with this because those positions should be going to new grads who are US citizens first. I keep seeing that new grads can't find jobs because they lack experience. No offense to any nurses from other countries but it seems to me that our own new grads should be employed first before we allow foreign nurses to make up the difference.

I think we need to make our elected officials aware of what the real state of nursing is not this media created delusion. I think there really is a shortage but the hospitals, like everyone else, are tightening thier purse strings. We need to make sure our legislators know that there are new grads trying to get into these unfilled positions but they are not being given the chance. Send your governor, representative and senators an email and let them know! They should make incentives available to hospitals for hiring new grads not make it easier to hire foreign workers!

It's not offensive to say that America should take care of Americans first. If any American citizen is offended by such a statement, then they are not American.

My statement isn't an opinion, it's a fact.

Feed Americans first, enough is enough, we're not F123456 Gerber.

I won't apologize for being politically incorrect, I'm proud of it.

ChristopherH · Apr 28, 2009, 11:39 PM

Re: Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

I actually did a term paper on the nursing shortage during my final semester of my RN program and this hiring of foreign nurses was one aspect of it. This trend is very bad for several reasons:
1. We are in a very deep recession to begin with, so it obviously would be beneficial to have our own employed first and foremost.
2. It undercuts the primary problem, which is that we don't have enough teaching faculty to in nursing programs to license the number of nurses that our ongoing shortage needs.
3. What people don't know is that a lot of these foreign nurses are VERY needed in their homeland. Particularly in nations like South Africa which has very few physicians. South African nurses are sought after by recruiters because they are highly skilled. The reason for this is because in their homeland they do much of the work that a physician would otherwise be doing in other countries. By luring these nurses away with our greater ability to pay them we are depriving their homelands of the extremely valuable service that the nurses provide them and that the citizens of these healthcare deprived nations critically need.

CityKat · Apr 28, 2009, 11:44 PM

Re: Fox & friends report on shortage this morning

This bothers me and I couldn't agree more with everyones stance here. We're all aware of why this woman and many others are trying to push legislation through to hire MORE foreign nurses; money and greed. It costs a hospital about 50k-60k PER NEW GRADUATE RN to train them. The numbers may be off, but they are all within the ballpark.

I'm sending something to Fox and HOPEFULLY President Obama will not allow this.

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Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

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Fox reports on shortage and legislation to bring in foreign nurses

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