Can the CNA do anything about nurse guest workers?

Nurses Union

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why isn't the cna doing something about this??? why???

the federal department of labor clearly states that; united states citizens take precedance and a non-citizen cannot be employed if a united states citizen is available for the job. but this is not the case! rn's that are united states citizens are not given precedance, united states citizen new grad rn's are not being given precedance either. here is a link that has a power point from the california institute of nursing and health care, that states on page 7 that 16% of the rn's in california are foreign nurses. whether they are on visa's or have green cards (e3's, etc. and/or have permanent residency - green card), these nurses should not be employed when a rn who is a us citizen needs a job! furthermore, the foreign nurses are getting employed without verifiable job references and proof of positive employment histories. the foreign nurses are gaining experience while employed here, which further disables us citizen new grad rn's from getting hired. us citizen nurses job history backgrounds are scrutinized and a foreign rn who doesn't even have verifiable job references etc. can get the job instead. in california 16% = 64,000 foreign rn's (we have a total of approximately 400,000 rn's). i would say that number is greatly affecting us rn's from getting jobs!! this is just in california.. another point is that the cinhc estimated that in 2009, 5,768 new grad rn's would get hired for jobs and 3,812 new grad rn's would not get a job (page 23 of the power point). yet, the cinhc wants to continue to flood the market in cali. with new grad rn's that will not get jobs. the reason for this is that they want to receive the annual $60,000,000 for the states budget for nursing education - because this pays for their nursing instructor salaries. here is the link - http://www.cinhc.org/wordpress/wp-co...ionsed0809.pdf

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something about contracts and hb1 visa's. Call your representatives, utilize your contacts in the unions.

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The H1B visa are used primarily for engineers and things like that, and approx. 500 total are said to be issued per year. I located the visa numbers for foreign nurses there was the E3 that was very popular but complicated. In the last 5 years there is another visa H1C (something like that), those are easily obtained in mass numbers, but those had strict time limits. President Obama has had a non-waivering position on this issue - He said that he does not agree with bringing in foreign nurses and he believes that this will hurt USA citizen nurses. He was/is right!! Back to the visa's.. so due to the restrictions on the amount of time the foreign nurses could remain in the US, and the foreign nurses knowing before ever coming to the US that they wanted to stay and obtain permanent residency, etc., there are these recruiters that know the ropes with the hopitals and the country where the foreign nurses are from. The Hospitals knew the foreign nurse was coming and they sponsor their obtaining permanent residency status!!! Furthermore, there are schools/businesses that specifically exist to make sure that all of the processes are completed once the foreign nurses come to the US.!!!! These are NOT the schools that people attend to become nurses. These are specific businesses for the purpose of foreign nurses. Another way that foreign nurses come into the country is on a visitors visa, then they race against the clock to get jobs and permanent visa's. This whole thing is a hugh mess!!! Furthermore, the nursing programs are flooding the US market with new grads!! President Obama has had good insight into this situation and he shares his ideas that are pro US nurses, but nothing is happening to stop this mess!! Until the USA Hospitals are forced to stop doing what they are doing and hire USA nurses, and train them for the future, there is not end in sight. There is going to have to be some very hard work and reform put into this and no one is doing anything about it. Nurses that are in the work place are going to have to get involved and advocate for the new nurses. Guess they feel to vulnerable to do so. The impact of foreign nurses on the US work force and career goals of US nurses is going to be disastorous. The President understands the ramifications of this. It is only going to get worse for US nurses.

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something about contracts and hb1 visa's. Call your representatives, utilize your contacts in the unions.

You guys are right about the hiring of foreign nurses but they are not the real threat. The real,bigger threat is the use of Uap's who can basically function as nurses without a license,and its perfectly legal. Call your representives about giving nursing back to nurses and let cna's be cna's.they should not be able to start ivs,insert foleys,and administer gtube feedings on no one. Think of all the job openings there will be if states were allowed to get rid of the titles of patient care technician and med aide,among others.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
You guys are right about the hiring of foreign nurses but they are not the real threat. The real, bigger threat is the use of Uap's who can basically function as nurses without a license, and its perfectly legal. Call your representives about giving nursing back to nurses and let cna's be cna's. They should not be able to start ivs, insert foleys, and administer gtube feedings on no one. Think of all the job openings there will be if states were allowed to get rid of the titles of patient care technician and med aide, among others.

Massachusetts doesn't allow med techs, but the job market for nurses is very tight.

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In California, none of that is legal.. CNA's cannot do any of that... OMG!!! I think that rule is standard cuz the NCLEX is against that to!! I have heard of Med techs.. yes they are uap's and give meds.. I thought that was done in home care and assisted livings only?? wow, foleys, IV's, gtubes - that is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is another hit on nursing.. but the foreign nurses are gonna prevent citizen nurses from even getting a job at all.. what can we do??????? All of these things undermining nursing and US nurses.. yikes..

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by the way I was a CNA and to this day I LOVE that job.. it taught me everything, how to care for the patient, and what the nurse wants to know about the patient. I love being a CNA!!! But I never did any of that stuff.. it is not legal here.

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One more point.. the title of this thread, Can the CNA do anything about..... I believe this is referring to a nurses union, lol... not the certified nurse assistant...

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

The foreign born RNs I know are now United States citizens.

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I think BackFromRetirement is right. fight for it to be in your contract. Otherwise, write an article for the LA Times. Maybe then the governor will take a position about US born/citizens having priority for "patient safety" right?

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