Foreign nurse vs. Local nurse??

[WhyNurse]

It is interesting to find out that some hospital is willing to hire foreign nurses all the way from Jamaica rather than local nurses (who probably would know more about the culture and people here in Canada).

Just spoke with a long lost classmate who just recently returned working short term position from Weeneebayko Health Authority - told me that her contract / assignment will not be extended cause they had hired nurses from Jamaica??

Yes - foreign nurses who hold a working permit (not PR card or a Canadian Passport).

Interesting.....

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

So your friend is a traveler and they hired a permanent nurse? That's the point, isn't it?

[WhyNurse]

So your friend is a traveler and they hired a permanent nurse? That's the point, isn't it?

No - apparently all of them are "travel" nurse in temp contract.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

It is interesting to find out that some hospital is willing to hire foreign nurses all the way from Jamaica rather than local nurses (who probably would know more about the culture and people here in Canada).

Just spoke with a long lost classmate who just recently returned working short term position from Weeneebayko Health Authority - told me that her contract / assignment will not be extended cause they had hired nurses from Jamaica??

Yes - foreign nurses who hold a working permit (not PR card or a Canadian Passport).

Interesting.....

Have you ever heard about "embracing diversity?"

I think you are just trying to stir the pot a bit...

[dishes, BSN, RN]

@whynurse, your post is based on third party hearsay and assumptions. If your long lost classmate has evidence that an employer violated federal and provincial labour laws, they can write a letter/email to their MP and MPP and it will be investigated. Employers are usually required to do labour market impact assessments before temporary foreign worker permits are granted.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Moved to our Canadian forum.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Not uncommon, as some of the nursing programs in Canada maintain ties with Jamaica. My workplace has hired several Jamaican nurses this way.

Since everyone is closely monitoring their budgets, it's unlikely the employer has violated any labour laws.

[loriangel14, RN]

What does their race have to do with anything? Can you prove they have done something illegal? I work with nurses from other countries. I don't see what your point is.

[WhyNurse]

I am absolutely not trying to stir the pot or trying to be racist...

I myself is also an immigrant who work hard who had a nursing degree from a foreign country -

I work hard re-cert and went through language class...etc... go back to school and basically start all over again in Canada at the age of 40.

We all work hard and I am not doubting it - but just wonder when there's so many nurses posted on the forum stating that they are having difficult time to land themselves a decent nursing job (include myself), yet we have other nurses from other country is getting the work - that just hard for me to understand.

Should we just say "because we are unlucky" and that's our problem.. we shouldn't be venting just someone has a job offer and we are not. Life is just not fair so suck it up, butter cup???

[madricka, BSN, RN]

I think it's REALLY difficult to say either way because we don't know what position the hospital was hiring for, what their needs are, or what the travel nurse's credentials are. Maybe that nurse was hired because his/her credentials were outstanding and unmatched by anyone else applying for the position. Maybe the hospital has an exchange agreement with another facility in Jamaica (the hospital I worked at had one with a hospital in China and a few in Brazil so there were several staff exchanges, good for all involved!). Maybe they want to hire someone from a country to serve a particular immigrant population in a way that someone from Canada would not (a stretch, but you never know). It's very difficult to say. But to make grand assumptions that travel nurses are taking away Canadian nursing jobs is really unfair. There is usually way more to the story.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

@whynurse, if your long lost classmate really wants to work for Weeneebayko Health Authority, she should discuss it with Weeneebayko human resources and hiring manager and find out what steps she needs to take in order to become a permanent employee. The steps will likely include quitting her position with the travel nursing agency, waiting until the no-compete clause expires and moving to the Weeneebayko area. If she is not willing to do this, then whining about not receiving an extended or second contract, is just sour grapes.

[loriangel14, RN]

Perhaps these foreign grads had experience in a much needed specialty.