English nurses recruited for California?

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 25, 2004

Is it possible the hospital's reputation is so horrible that they have to go to another country to find people willing to work there?

fergus51 · Mar 25, 2004

I don't know about that. Even hospitals with good reputations recruit heavily up here.

jemb · Mar 25, 2004

A hospital where I worked previously did a big recruiting thing for UK nurses,as well as recruiting from the Phillipines, during a shortage in the 80's. I would say that particular facility had trouble keeping nurses -- wouldn't surprise me if they are recruiting UK nurses again. They've probably exhausted or scared away the local supply.

All of the UK nurses hired at that time left as soon as their contracts were up. The main complaints they had were 1)that the hospital cancelled their shifts when the census was low (rotating with cancellations of all nurses on the floor- not just them!). Apparently, this was not common practice in the UK.

And 2) that particular hospital was miserably understaffed, and their 8 hour shifts frequently became 10 hours. Due to no timeclock system at the facility, a nurse who worked overtime was essentially at the mercy of the shift supervisor as to whether they were paid for the overtime. (Overtime pay was routinely denied unless you let them know two hours prior to the end of your shift that you expected to have to stay late. Even then you would only be paid for the estimated amount you had given them when you called- not for the actual amount of time you stayed. No joke- that was the policy!)

So if any of you nurses in the UK are being courted by recruiters for a Los Angeles area hospital, beware!

bukko · Mar 25, 2004

I work in a hospital in San Francisco that pays well and has pleasant working conditions. (I've worked at enough miserable hospitals to know the difference.)

Our management recently recruited a slew of Korean RNs, in spite of the high cost, culture shock and long orientation required. We have a dozen nurses who were born in various parts of the old USSR, which is great in light of our many Russian-speaking patients. Most nights, I'm the only Anglo nurse on my unit in the midst of an otherwise Filipina staff.

No prejudice implied -- God bless these nurses who leave their native lands, learn another language and take care of Americans (whose fellow citizens don't seem to be doing the job...)

I suspect the reason for recruiting in the UK is because of a nurse-to-patient ratio law that took effect in California this year. On med-surg floors, there must be one nurse for every 6 patients, for instance. That means my hospital had to hire many more RNs.

My boss was smart -- she lined up lots more staff in advance (our floor supplies floaters to half the hospital now!) But other managers might be playing catch-up. That could explain the recruitment.

Don't automatically reject the idea of working in California. It's not all bad out here -- union pay, mandated patient loads, sunshine amid the earthquakes and wildfires... For some reason, we can't get Americans to work in this state. We even had to get a foreigner to be our governor!

sjoe · Mar 25, 2004

shez writes: "What's going on?"

Read "Grapes of Wrath" (or rent the movie). The larger the pool of labor, the lower the wage that must be paid.

mattsmom81 · Mar 26, 2004

We had a big influx of Brits in my area in the late 70's too...most of them single young women who came to America for better wages (they couldn't support themselves in GB on their nurse salary they told me...perhaps its better today). Many of these nurses married here, became citizens and are raising their families here, and are excellent nurses. We also appreciate the very important fact they speak the language (unlike other foreign recruits we get)

I doubt I could afford a nice house in California and live well...that may be why you have trouble getting nurses; high cost of living, sky high taxes....just speculating. My house that I built for 100K in Texas would likely cost 250K or more in Cali, I hear. Many nurses support families, so cost of living is a big consideration to many of us.

Maybe Arnold will make things better, eh?

Whisper · Mar 26, 2004

I am a nursing student in the UK, and will qualify in September (touch wood) and we have had US and Canadian recruiters in to talk to us... To be honest it is pretty scary as many of the agencies no longer want the 18 months experience to apply, then another 18 months to get your NCLEX and green card. Many now will accept newly qualified (the day you get you PIN number,) and then that gives them 18 months for you to pass NCLEX and for them to get your green card and housing sorted!

It seems a bit quick to me, after all we do have our own nursing shortage over here! So there is hope of getting a job even for people like me that are struggling with the application forms!

Whisper

bukko · Mar 26, 2004

I doubt I could afford a nice house in California and live well...that may be why you have trouble getting nurses; high cost of living, sky high taxes....just speculating. My house that I built for 100K in Texas would likely cost 250K or more in Cali, I hear. Many nurses support families, so cost of living is a big consideration to many of us.
Maybe Arnold will make things better, eh?

House prices ARE insane. Our place in San Fran cost exactly 10 times as much as the house I sold in Florida. My wife and I were looking for something that only cost half a million dollars, but wound up spending almost $700K for 3 bedrooms and a 180-degree ocean view where we can see halfway to Australia on clear days. Out here, you don't own; you rent from the bank... Luckily, we both work, and salaries for skilled professions are set to keep pace with prices. On the plus side, the resale value of our place went up $100,000 during the past year without us doing anything.

The Korean nurses I work with go in together on apartments. Cuts individual costs and lets them hang with like-languaged people (who can stand the smell of kimchee). So any Auslander (an Arnold word) nurses should consider coming with a buddy. Do it while you're young and get some great tales to tell. Beats heck out of going to Saudi!

Town & Country · Mar 26, 2004

What I am hearing from most of the recruiters is that CA is hiring to catch up to the patient:nurse ration thingey.

I am looking to go to Central or Northern CA. Nowhere near LA!