Urge Congress to Support HR 5924: Legislation to Address Nursing Shortage
Bill will provide visas for properly qualified RNs
While the shortage of nursing and healthcare workers persists, a visa shortage has compounded the impact of the workforce shortage by limiting the ability of American hospitals to hire foreign nursing professionals.
The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act, (H.R. 5924), will help alleviate the nursing shortage by providing visas for properly qualified registered nurses to work in the U.S.
Take action now and urge your Representative in Congress to support H.R. 5924 and help alleviate the nursing workforce shortage.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for registered nurses will grow 23 percent by 2008. That's faster than the average for all other occupations. About half of the RN workforce will reach retirement age in the next 15 years. The average age of new graduates is 31. They are entering the profession at an older age and will have fewer years to work than nurses traditionally have had. Click here to read more about the nursing shortage.
The U.S. has a waiting list for employment-based visas for internationally-educated nurses. In response, H.R. 5924 would: (1) set aside 20,000 employment-based visas in each of the next three years for foreign-educated registered nurses and physical therapists; (2) provide funds to help U.S. nursing schools expand the domestic supply of nurses; and (3) establish a three-year pilot program aimed at keeping U.S. nurses in the workforce.
Importing foreign nurses is a bad idea. What we need to do is revamp the system. If the incentives were there, more people would come join us. What we need is a bill that would encourage domestic citizens to become nurses, not one that legally imports cheap foreign labor.
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
Most nursing schools have waiting lists.
Professors of nursing are generally paid less than they could earn at direct care. (I think "publish or perish" contributes to this)
I kno nurses who left due to poor conditions (unsafe staffing etcetera) or to raise a family. They cannot get a job. Hospitals would rather hire new grads.
Professors of nursing are generally paid less than they could earn at direct care. (I think "publish or perish" contributes to this)
I kno nurses who left due to poor conditions (unsafe staffing etcetera) or to raise a family. They cannot get a job. Hospitals would rather hire new grads.
I am one of those nurses who left the bedside 6 years ago for personal reasons, and cannot get a job. I am frustrated beyond belief.
If this bill passes and we have an influx of cheap foreign labor, watch out. Salaries will drop incredibly and quickly for all nurses. This is bogus, IMHO. It will only make things worse in the long run as nurses leave due to money.
Ailing economy is helping, but officials warn crunch could worsen in future.
By Mary Ann Roser / AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, August 18, 2008
Despite a hospital building boom and growing demand for nurses in Central Texas, officials from the area's two largest hospital systems say they have fewer nursing vacancies than they did several years ago.
Although a nationwide shortage that is well into its second decade is reportedly worsening, vacancies at the five hospitals in the St. David's Health Care system are at 3 percent, the lowest....
I"m personally against the importation of foreign nurses. This will reduce the bargaining ability of U.S. nurses by bringing in large amounts of foreign workers.
In my opinion we should be recruiting from our native born population, boosting nursing programs in the country, and doing everything else possible to nurture and finance the education aspirations of Americans who wish to be nurses!
I"m personally against the importation of foreign nurses. This will reduce the bargaining ability of U.S. nurses by bringing in large amounts of foreign workers.
In my opinion we should be recruiting from our native born population, boosting nursing programs in the country, and doing everything else possible to nurture and finance the education aspirations of Americans who wish to be nurses!
I strongly agree with your first paragraph.
I disagree with "...recruiting from our native-born population..." I care not whether a person is native-born, naturalized, or a legal resident on their path to citizenship. However, I do agree that we need to focus on recruiting from the population that's already present and not importing additional people simply because they're nurses.
I also don't think we need to focus on expanding nursing programs. There already seems to be a fair amount of competition among new grads for a limited number of positions. Rather than expand nursing programs I'd like to see resources put into retaining experienced nurses and providing incentives for hospitals to hire new grads.
For me, the important part of this discussion is about numerical practicality, health care standards, and equity. If it descends into a conversation of keeping out "those dirty, smelly foreigners," then we need to re-examine our motives and our fears.
I just started reading a useful looking book by Mark Berreby called, "Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind" (2005). If any of you have read it, maybe you could comment. It talks about the neuro-psychological basis for flocking together with similarly-feathered birds and, by extension, about racism and exclusion.
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
We have read many news reports on allnurses.com about recruitment companies that take the nurses' passports. Nurses who are paid lower wages, and basically taken advantage of.
For me, the important part of this discussion is about numerical practicality, health care standards, and equity. If it descends into a conversation of keeping out "those dirty, smelly foreigners," then we need to re-examine our motives and our fears.
I just started reading a useful looking book by Mark Berreby called, "Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind" (2005). If any of you have read it, maybe you could comment. It talks about the neuro-psychological basis for flocking together with similarly-feathered birds and, by extension, about racism and exclusion.
Alan
I get a little tired of being accused of being a racist for opposing mass immigration from foreign countries. That's a tired, stale argument in my opinion.
I think it boils down to the fact that the powers that be, rather than making the effort to retain nurses already here with better working conditions, find it more expedient for their bottom line to bring in nurses from impoverished nations.
I get a little tired of being accused of being a racist for opposing mass immigration from foreign countries. That's a tired, stale argument in my opinion.
I think it boils down to the fact that the powers that be, rather than making the effort to retain nurses already here with better working conditions, find it more expedient for their bottom line to bring in nurses from impoverished nations.
i agree...
it has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with common sense.
as the ceo's keep an eye on their bottom line, which is $$ saved, we need to keep an eye on our bottom line, which is retaining what we have and reclaiming the thousands of nurses who have left r/t intolerable conditions.
Silverdragon102, BSN
1 Article; 39,477 Posts
Depends on what the end decision is. They may decide to get rid of the backlog first and that will delay and not allow EAD to be filed