Immigration: More Foreign Nurses Needed?

Therein lies a big part of the problem. The "equivalent skills" part is so easy to manipulate, it might as well not be a "requirement." The hiring manager for a software firm (a friend of mine) told me how she did it. She figured out who she wanted to hire from, say, India. She then wrote a job description that EXACTLY matched that person's skill set and experience, point for point. She published the job ad and marked the resume of everyone except the target employee as "skills do not match job requirements" or something similar. Thus, she could "prove" that the person in India was the only person who met the job requirements. Oh, and that person in India was often coached on how to pad their resume. Little-to-no checking of the person's claims of skills and experience was done.

I would love to hear others' opinions on their experiences working with foreign nurses and how those nurses interact with staff and patients in general.blah blah blah

I have encountered foreign nurses who barely speak a word of English. They speak in their native language to their foreign counterparts in the hallways and in a patient's room.

Do you think that is conducive to a healthy work environment

Imagine how patients must feel hearing a foreign language being spoken by a nurse about to start their intravenous infusion.

I wouldn't take my vehicle to a mechanic who did not speak English, would you

ghillbert: how do you feel about the "brain drain" that happens to the country that loses their skilled nursing professional to the USA? I'm not sure where you are from; is there a similar nursing shortage in your home country?

ghillbert the foreign nurse will have to learn a whole new way of life, the foreign nurse will have to learn the language, the foreign nurse will even have to learn how to get to and from work as well as being oriented to the floor, staff and so on. So in essence, the foreign nurse is on the same scale as a new grad. Again, no offense as you seem to have quite a big chip on your shoulder..

You are absolutely correct - whatever the system, someone will work out a way to exploit it. It only bothers me when this is assumed to be the rule, rather than exception.


It is impolite and ignorant to speak in a different language than your colleagues in any situation. However - not all foreign nurses are deficient in english... some of us are even native english speakers!


I'm sure it's an issue. However, nursing is a transient profession. People come and go. Particularly from Australia, because it's so remote, a lot of people go overseas for more varied experienced with a bigger population. But most people come back, for quality of life issues, after gaining that experience. I think that can only be a positive thing for the profession. Global experiences are enriching and valuable in my opinion - advancing your professional status and taking it home seems smart to me.


Yes, I probably do have a big chip on my shoulder with regard to this issue. Blanket statements such as "the foreign nurse will have to learn the language, the foreign nurse will have to learn how to get to and from work"... and "in essence, the foreign nurse is on the same scale as a new grad" are ignorant and incorrect. Generalizations usually are.

In an ideal world, would americans rather that there were NO foreign nurses - do you not think there is a wide world out there, with valuable lessons to be learned from your international counterparts? Nursing is a team sport, and learning from others - to me - is a great thing.

Honestly - I am very logical and reasoned as a rule. However as a foreign nurse who is a native english speaker and very highly specialized in my field, who was recruited to the US, it bothers me to see statements like some of the ones in this thread. I am gaining knowledge and experience in the US, but I am *not* equivalent to a new grad.

Then give us new grads a chance to get the experience needed in that area first. We are not dumb, we can figure it out.