Attention: Philippines nurses - there is no nursing shortage in America

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 11, 2008

I came across a thread in this forum. A lot of those forumers, mostly american nurses, posted that there is really no nursing shortage in America. I think that's really very disturbing considering that I gave up a very good career just to take up nursing.
I am at a dilemma, should I push through with my american dream. I am done with my CGFNS, IELTS and NCLEX but everything crumbled since i read those posts.
How ironic that we are made to believe that america needs nurses when there are a lot of inactive american nurses who chose not to practice. What if the US gov't does something to make those nurses go back on the floor then where will we be?

As it has been said there is no shortage of nurses just working nurses. Many nurses have left due to the treatment they receive and I should image the stress piled on the rest makes them either leave/think about leaving or look for other work. You can still continue with your dream it just means the wait will be longer and if just starting out many find hospitals delaying taking nurses on due to no idea how long it will take to get out there and working. Whilst waiting you may want to consider looking at another country and gain experience

Daly City RN · Mar 11, 2008

The person who wrote that there is no shortage of nurses here in the U.S. but just a shortage of working nurses is right. I agree 100 percent. But a shortage is a shortage.

So, don't be dissapointed, there are plenty of jobs for RN's in the U.S.A. As the baby boomers age, they will require more medical and nursing care. There are reports in the newspapers and in U.S. nursing journals that there will be a need for up to a million nurses just several years from now. One report stated that the U.S. schools can only train and graduate about 600,000 nurses during this time period. How can the U.S. hospitals close this gap? Most probably just like what they have been doing for years, U.S. hospitals will hire foreign grad. nurses.

There are plenty of jobs for nurses in the U.S., but reality bites sometimes. That so-called "first job" may be elusive at first to the new-grad nurse. It costs the hospitals thousands of dollars to train each newly graduated nurse. Understandably, U.S. hospitals would rather hire an experienced RN. But be persistent, you will be hired. And when you get that nursing job, show them that you are a hard worker and willing to learn. Be a team player. Take good care of your patients, after all you are getting paid to take care of them.

Nursing is hard work. It is very stressful. Therefore it is important to have a good sense of humor. That's what kept me sane this last 27 years as a nurse here in the U.S.

Good luck!

suzanne4, RN · Mar 11, 2008

But you do need to consider that there are many more graduates from your country than there are visas available for the US when we are not under a retrogression. And I do expect the US to require experience once again before issuing a visa in the future.

CGFNS exam is only needed for about four states now, so is not needed if you are not going to one of them. And since the wait is expected to be about five years if you have not started anything for a chance at a visa, then suggest that you go to another country to get experience.

Shortage of nurses and finding a facility that will start the petitioning process are also two very different things. Sure, the Bay Area has a shortage but you will not find one hospital that will petition, they do not wish to wait for someone to get a visa for working here, and you are going to find that in many other areas as well.

You will also be considered a new grad when coming to the US, and are up against many new American grads for jobs as well. Going into nursing should be because it is something that you truly wish to do and it does not matter where you practice it.

Those are the best type of nurses.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

Nurses are needed in the US, my Pinay friends.

I no longer work the floor. To those who are willing to, have at it!

There is sometimes a bit of resentment towards immigrants because they often are willing to work for less pay and under more difficult conditions because, let's face it, being poor in America is being rich in the Phillipines.

Follow your dreams. This *IS* a wonderful nation, and we have room for more.

As to the nonsense about "taking what you can get here and then deserting us," I know many Americans who work and live abroad for many reasons. I would be a boring, small world indeed if we only ever experienced our own villages. I live in a village of 2,500 people and some of them really should visit another place.

And if you finally get here, I, for one, say, "Welcome! And good luck."

:)

PMHNP10 · Mar 11, 2008

Slightly OT post but it is a curiousity I have re: American nurses who work with international nurses...is it your experience that on average, nurses from other continents (esp. Africa and Asia) tend to tolerate and accept the trials and tribulations that go with floor nursing more than American nurses? Is it fair to speculate that if they do accept more it is possibly in part due to the quality of life they left from their home land to experience the "American Dream"?

pinoy_guy · Mar 11, 2008

there is sometimes a bit of resentment towards immigrants because they often are willing to work for less pay and under more difficult conditions . . .

you expressed something that's been troubling me for the past year.

some of the nurses i work with say i'm a perfectionist, that i'm not a teamplayer, and that i always want things "stat."

i'm a perfectionist because i always trace the medications in the mars--i've had instances wherein medications were magically on the mars even if they had been d/c'd days ago, and where medications ordered were not on the mars (they don't like it when i find errors). i always want to do what's ordered for the patient, and not take shortcuts.

i'm not a teamplayer because they all take coffee breaks 2 to 3 times a day--and i don't have time for coffee when i'm checking my patient and the mars; when my patient poops, i have to get help from another coworker, and they would rather enjoy their coffee than deal with poop...thus i'm "not a team player" for forcing them to deal with poop. (when i ask for help in turning patients to clean them up, they reply, "i'll help you when i get back. i'll just get coffee, ok?" when i point out that lying on poop is uncomfortable, they reply, "hey, nobody dies from lying on sh*t. relax!" i wonder how long their patients lie on sh*t while they enjoy their coffee and breakfast and snacks.)

i always want things "stat" because orders written at 0730 had not been entered in the system at 1530, when the secretary goes off shift. what did the secretary do for 8 hours? get coffee, enjoy coffee while shooting the breeze with the other nurses. get breakfast and moan about how difficult her job is. sit around and talk about the latest television show or food.

she is good at kissing bottom and greeting people though, and she projects her smile when answering the phone.

what takes the cake is i was advised by the boss to "take it easy" as "not everything is stat."

what a laugh.

i was actually daydreaming when my boss finally becomes a patient who cannot speak...and when the boss finally gets a taste of the "nursing care" her staff gives to the patients.

now that would be justice.

Miami NightNurse · Mar 11, 2008

There is a big nursing shortage in the US. We can always use you in Miami

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

you expressed something that's been troubling me for the past year.

i hope that i didn't offend you, because that was the opposite of my intenation.

it sounds like you're an excellent nurse.

Rep · Mar 11, 2008

Take courage! There is a shortage of working nurses here in the USA and your time will come even with the backlog ahead of you. Don't mind what other people say who does not agree of the current shortage.

To tell you the truth, nursing here is stressful unlike in the Philippines. What more if you are on a medical surgical floor. We have American student nurses with us and when I asked them about their plans in nursing, most of them they answered that onced they get their license they would immediately applied to specialty areas. In the hospital where I worked here in CA , Filipinos are the majority on the med surg floors and more Americans on ICU, Labor , OR and ER. I don't want to generalized here but just want to give a clear picture where we Filipinos are needed most. And those Filipinos nurses are foreign trained. So this is the specialty that will be in demand here that is medical surgical. Get experience in other countries while waiting for your turn for the immigrant visa.

With the projected shortage, sooner or later the US government will do something about it. Anything can happen anytime and the most valuable thing to do is to prepare for it because once the door is open for foreign nurses and visas are current you are there already.

I came across a thread in this forum. A lot of those forumers, mostly american nurses, posted that there is really no nursing shortage in America. I think that's really very disturbing considering that I gave up a very good career just to take up nursing.
I am at a dilemma, should I push through with my american dream. I am done with my CGFNS, IELTS and NCLEX but everything crumbled since i read those posts.
How ironic that we are made to believe that america needs nurses when there are a lot of inactive american nurses who chose not to practice. What if the US gov't does something to make those nurses go back on the floor then where will we be?

Rep · Mar 11, 2008

:bowingpur

i'm not a teamplayer because they all take coffee breaks 2 to 3 times a day--and i don't have time for coffee when i'm checking my patient and the mars; when my patient poops, i have to get help from another coworker, and they would rather enjoy their coffee than deal with poop...thus i'm "not a team player" for forcing them to deal with poop. (when i ask for help in turning patients to clean them up, they reply, "i'll help you when i get back. i'll just get coffee, ok?" when i point out that lying on poop is uncomfortable, they reply, "hey, nobody dies from lying on sh*t. relax!" i wonder how long their patients lie on sh*t while they enjoy their coffee and breakfast and snacks.)

same here, i usually don't take my 15 minutes break especially if i have a full load. i rather spend it by completing my charts and i really:angryfire hate it when we are busy and people can still find time to go on a coffee break and leave you with all the work. sometimes, i would do the work of the unit secretary and the cnas so that my patients can get their newly ordered medicines right away or have their butt clean.

inspite of this, i still :redbeathelove:redbeathe my work but there are days that i think isn't not my day and i wished i called in sick.. :lol2: lol

PMHNP10 · Mar 12, 2008

There is sometimes a bit of resentment towards immigrants because they often are willing to work for less pay and under more difficult conditions because, let's face it, being poor in America is being rich in the Phillipines.

Ok...you kinda answered my question after I started to compose my post, but before I got to post it; so if I understand, it is your opinion (and the opinion of others you work/talk with) that foreign born nurses do indeed accept more for less.

I assume the resentment you refer to (and I'm not saying you hold such resentment, just acknowledging your comment) is based on American nurses feeling foreign born nurses are a threat to their job security and their income? So are units with foreign born nurses often high tension in your opinion (and the opinion of others who'd be so kind to respond to my inquiry)? Do foreign born nurses get viewed as pushy (as one poster implied)?

I only ask because I have only worked with 1 foreign born nurse and he was a great colleague and valued teammate and in no way did anyone on our unit get a sense that he was a perfectionist.