Foreign recruitment of nurses-thoughts?

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · May 4, 2002

I think the AHA LOVES this idea... An easy "fix" to the problem without addressing the REAL issues.

As we are all aware, there is NOT a true nursing shortage YET. There are plenty of nurses out there--yet fewer and fewer are willing to work in the crazy and unsafe environments found in many health care facilities today. So, what really going on is a REFUSAL of nurses to work under these conditions, a STAND-OFF. It is an issue of CONTROL. We nurses need to have a collective VOICE in determining our practice environments. This is something the AHA desperately does not want.

flopmingale · May 4, 2002

I found the past threads on this issue. Very interesting and explosive reads. I am surprised that their was not more discussion. Granted, after a long, tiring shift isn't it easier to reply/read posts on lighter issues? Also, it seems ethnic/racial issues are hopelessly locked into such disscussions. clouding the real issue. I definately hope that those tangents are left to be discussed elsewhere. Instead, I am interested in soliciting current info and ideas, and unification of nurses to take care of a deep rooted problem in our profession. Forgive me for my "flight of ideas" on this subject, it is obviously complex. I only know that I see similar issues surrounding our science, tech, teaching, unskilled labor fields(well, what fields have NOT seen similar occurences?) If something isn't done soon, we will have effectively written ourselves out of another profession! Why is it that I feel guilty for saying we need to clean up our own backyard!?

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · May 4, 2002

Speaking AS a foreign nurse I love working here. But don't think it will improve working conditions one iota. However the new laws proposed to make QI information about each hospital public I think are great. (infection rates, staffing rates)

The more new blood they can dam the dike with the longer it will take to finally DO something about the constant burnout of good nurses. Unfortunately after a few years they may get enough nurses that don't give a hoot about quality that there won't be a crisis anymore. Now that's a scary thought.

Q. · May 4, 2002

I am against the use of foreign nurses to "fix" the nursing shortage. Throwing bodies at the problem will not motivate the hospitals, AMA, or the ANA to massively change things within health care and nursing as a whole.

There is NOT a shortage of nurses: there are 2.7 Million licensed nurses in the USA, but they are not working in health care where the need is. We need to concentrate on getting those experienced and qualified 2.7 Million back to work, not recruiting foreigners to fill the gaps.

fergus51 · May 5, 2002

I think we have to do both! We do hire foreign trained nurses here (in Canada) partly because we lose so many Canadian nurses every year. But, that doesn't mean we aren't trying to make this place more attractive to Canadian nurses...

NannaNurse · May 5, 2002

I think what flopmingale was referring to was the recent 'recruitment' of Philipino and Korean nurses. We have a hospital here in the St.Louis area that sent a 'delegation' to the Phillipenes (spelled wrong???) to recruit women who wanted to move to the USA, learn english....yeah right......go to college to obtain a BSN....with ALL EXPENSES PAID UNTIL PASSING NCLEX!!

Instead of offerring better pay, bonuses, retention/sign-on, treating our AMERICAN nurses with respect, they spent tons of $$$ for about 25-30 nurses.

Had everything paid for.....school, room, board, everything! These women were willing to work for about $10/hr....they didn't know any better!

I do not agree with this. Like SuzyK stated, there are 2.7mil of us here. Pay US better, offer US the bonuses.....

ps..I don't consider our Canadian sisters/brothers to be 'foreigners'.....they are our 'family upstairs'.....

jodie84124 · Oct 3, 2002

I am a 'foreign nurse'....an American living in Saudi Arabia and working for an oil company hospital. We have nurses from everywhere here....Canada, Phillipines, So. Africa, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Poland, China,.... Overall, there is a difference in the way 'western' vs. 'eastern/asian' nurses are trained. There is more emphasis on tasks and not as much on autonomy and accountability among Asian nurses. This is not to say they are not good nurses....they are! They just have a different background. Nurses all over the world are on the move. Enlgand has articles about the drain of their nurses to the USA. For some reason (I think TV and movies), people in other countries think all Americans are rich and life is easy for us. I will say that it is easier in many ways than in their home countries....especially the Asian ladies. Many send the bulk of their checks home to support up to 10 people. Many have children at home being raised by grandparents so they can make more money and send their kids to college. In many ways their priorities are purer than some Americans I know. Some of our Filipina nurses are trying to get to the US from here. They have to take and pass TOEFEL (English as a second language exams), get a sponser (usually a recruiting agency) and pass NCLEX. One girl just traveled to Egypt to take her Toefel and will go to Canada to take her NCLEX....all at her own expense. When you see most Filipina nurses in America you can rest assured that she is smart and has jumped through plenty of hoops to get there. Give her some help, help her see the differences and you should have an excellent co-worker. Just my opinion.

On the subject of '2.7 million nurses working in other fields'.....I think the issue goes back to better screening of applicants and better explanations of what nursing is BEFORE someone goes to nursing school. I've been a nurse for 30 years and still love it. I've heard recent grads say 'I'm not working nights and weekends.....I'll teach or get something else. In my grad. class of 100, there were at least 12 who openly said they had no intention of working, they wanted to marry and be mothers. They were just 'getting a degree and they were accepted in nursing school'. Really sad.

longtermcarern · Oct 3, 2002

nannanurse, I read with interest your post regarding all expenses being paid during training. Why are american companies willing to do this for person's from other countries but not for american's? My son would of gone to school for nursing but he could not afford to live and pay tuition without working full time and working full time he couldn't get enough study time to keep his head above water. So he has totally given up on nursing (he is a cna) and has become a flight attendent. I am terrified of his flying daily but for now he is happy. He would of made a fine, caring nurse though....

Just Angi · Oct 3, 2002

I am in school, so do not really know ALL the issues of the foreign nurses, but it upsets me that when I finish school I'm going to have a mountain of debt and thiers is Paid In FULL! There are people in the good ole USA that would like to go into nursing, but are scared off by the cost. I think this money should be available for the people that want to do for their own country before giving to the ones from somewhere else.

spineCNOR · Oct 3, 2002

Yes--why can't we clean up our own back yards first?!? In the OR where I currently work there is a "staffing crisis", but the problem is not that there is a real shortage of OR nurses--there is a shortage of nurses willing to put up with mandatory overtime to do elective cases, disrespect and verbal abuse from surgeons and nursing administration.

And why is there money to help foreign students attend school but little money to help our native citizens to attend nursing school?

I have no problem with nurses from other countries who want to emigrate to the US, however this will do nothing to solve the current problems in the US healthcare system. Why are US hospitals so anxious to spend money recruiting from other countries, yet totally unwilling to do anything to make their facilities more attractive for the nurses that are already here? The logical conclusion is that it is to the advantage of hospitals to keep nurses oppressed--perhaps they are fearful of what might happen if we ever all joined forces to support other nurses and support our patients.

June55Baby · Oct 3, 2002

The hospital I used to work for recently recruited 120 nurses from the Phillipines. It will take these nurses 6 -18 months to complete the paperwork to come to the US. They should begin arriving in November.

From what we were told these are very smart and skilled nurses, but it will be a real challenge for the recruiting hospital to assimilate them into the American culture. They have to consider education on American culture, housing, transportation, etc, etc, etc. It is a nightmare for the hospital education department.

This is the same hospital that recruited dozens of Canadian nurses 8-10 years ago and after working out their contract, the nurses moved on. Only 1 or 2 are left and that's because they married guys from the area.

Is it worth it?? Will it work this time??? I don't know. Time will tell.