A shortage of nurses, and common sense

Published

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The person in charge of the country has to look at home and has to set requirements. What is the Philippines going to do if more and more countries expect nursing experience of 1-2-3 years before allowing them to work in the country? I see many threads in the Philippine forum on people struggling to find work and even struggling to pass English exams. I am not saying looking at another country is impossible but you have to look at yourself and make sure you can sell yourself appropriately. That will mean gain working experience, especially in an area that may have shortages, learn the language both oral and written and be able to communicate clearly and concisely. When a country is producing more nurses than jobs and expecting the nurses to move away from the country it should make sure that there are adequate resources to train appropriately and offer work experience.

Moving country is hard, I know cos I have done it but you have to meet the country's requirements and if it means waiting several years then be prepared to wait but don't loose out on learning new skills, improving language skills and looking at promoting yourself

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in intensive care, recovery, anesthetics.

It's just another one of those articles that blames everybody else but doesn't want to look home, and I'm just tired of hearing again and again of worlds best health care providers, it's such a nonsense and it's very offensive. And actually quite a few filippinos struggle with english, since it's their second language and they don't use it in private life.

And before anybody is saying how do you know, I work with many filipinos, I like them very much, and some of them are excellent nurses and their english is great, but not all of them have the same skill levels, and why, because they are humans like everybody else!

5cats

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

So...the way to come the US is to insult the US? Doubt it!

We don't have a nursing shortage in the US - we have a recession and hospitals are not hiring anyone!!! What's so hard to understanding?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't get it. The American government has never encouraged students to study nursing to come to America. There is no current nursing shortage. Common sense tells me that Americans should be employed first. What bothers me who is telling students to study nursing so they can come to the USA, common sense tells me that they should be stopped. Thanks for posting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Still is Nursing Shortage in parts of USA.

We had my wife Clinical Instructor from her Nursing School in Philippines spend the week with us. She came to USA in August with her Husband and child.

She is working in West Texas Hospital, and said 4 Philippines Nurses arrived there to work last month.

She said she is working around 20 hours per week overtime cuz they don't have enough staff.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How did these foreign nurses come to the USA with retrogression in place ?

Also on ABC news, there was a story how Americans hard hit with unemployment are moving to Texas. I wonder if this hospital offered to relocate American Nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's too bad that Korina Sanchez doesn't read the allnurses forum--if she did, she'd "get it!"

But obviously she hasn't been paying attention. If she had, she'd stop writing things like "Hopefully they will all come to their senses and start to realize that our Filipino nurses are world-class caregivers, more that capable of giving the best healthcare in the world!" Guess she's not familiar with the NLE pass rate these days, or the problems that plague the nursing education system in the Philippines. New Zealand, anyone??

And I gotta love this comment: "Even during this time of financial turmoil, most Americans still want the cushy, high-paying jobs that would allow them to get that loan for sports car, buy that plasma tv and get to travel to Acapulco during weekends."

Sports cars? Weekends in Acapulco?? More like Toyota Corollas and weekends on the unit!! :chuckle

It's a real shame that someone with so little insight into the current situation in the US feels the need to spread her lack of knowledge to others.

The US president is "alarmed," and he should be. He is smart enough to realize that the prospect of importing foreign workers while US unemployment is increasing is alarming to the vast majority of Americans.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"Most of the employment problems of the US can be traced to the fact that most Americans do not want to do the dirty jobs that are easily filled by non-Americans. But at the same time, they curse those employed for taking away the jobs from them."

I am gonna have to agree with this statement 100%, Not only related to nursing but to many industries in USA.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
"Most of the employment problems of the US can be traced to the fact that most Americans do not want to do the dirty jobs that are easily filled by non-Americans. But at the same time, they curse those employed for taking away the jobs from them."

I am gonna have to agree with this statement 100%, Not only related to nursing but to many industries in USA.

I take offense to you calling nursing a dirty job. I feel it is an honor working with my patients. It is very difficult to become a nurse in the USA, it is very competitive to gain admission. Schools that do have a high NCLEX pass rate are closed. Nursing school in the US is very difficult and the standards are very high. I have many students who have a BA/BS from top US universities who struggle with nursing. Why would a person do this if it was a "dirty" job?

Nurses who work 20 hours of over time are not doing their patients are favors. Studies have shown that nurse who exceed 56 hours are make errors many of them life threatening. Nurses who work these hours empower hospitals to continue with poor working conditions with little regard to the patients or employees. In fact training for physicians now have very strict rules on the hours they can work. Nurses who work 20 hours of overtime are doing it for the money and not looking to advance the nursing profession.

And with retrogression in place how did 5 Philippine nurses beat retrogression?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
"Most of the employment problems of the US can be traced to the fact that most Americans do not want to do the dirty jobs that are easily filled by non-Americans. But at the same time, they curse those employed for taking away the jobs from them."

I am gonna have to agree with this statement 100%, Not only related to nursing but to many industries in USA.

Ugh. People have used that argument for years, and it's just not true.

Americans pick up each other's trash.

Americans clean out each other's septic tanks.

The real issue is that Americans want more than a few bucks an hour to do it: the work itself is not the issue--the issue is that they want to earn enough to support their families while doing the work.

The claim that these "dirty" jobs can be "easily fillled by non-Americans" is based on the fact that people from poor countries are more likely to be willing to work for low wages. Therefore, the wages offered are kept artificially low. Great for businesses, but awful for American workers!

As I said in a previous post, it's a shame that the author of that article is so clueless. By continuing to spread false information she is hurting the very people she is trying to help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Ugh. People have used that argument for years, and it's just not true.

Americans pick up each other's trash.

Americans clean out each other's septic tanks.

The real issue is that Americans want more than a few bucks an hour to do it: the work itself is not the issue--the issue is that they want to earn enough to support their families while doing the work.

The claim that these "dirty" jobs can be "easily fillled by non-Americans" is based on the fact that people from poor countries are more likely to be willing to work for low wages. Therefore, the wages offered are kept artificially low. Great for businesses, but awful for American workers!

Gonna have to disagree.

Go out and try to hire a person to dig ditches all day long or dig holes and offer them $10 per hour and see how many workers you get.

On the other hand Illegals Aliens (which we have many in my parts), will be more than happy to do that work.

I see it day in and day out. Foundation companies are prime examples in D/FW area. The lion share of the employees are Illegals that day in and day out dig all day long, they just want to work.

In my line of business Illegals are used all the time as well, they average about $10 per hour cash.

Go to any city in Dallas or Ft. Worth and they have places where Illegal stand and wait for work. Some cities have even built buildings for them to wait at for work

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion