Foreign-trained nurses

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need some insight on how to inservice foreign trained nurses to assist with baths, turning, taking patients to the bathroom, place bedpans under patients, or answer call lights to find out whether the patient needs a pain med or a glass of water, instead of spending 10 minutes to find an aide or paging for the aide who might be assisting another patient! :confused: Every time I have to discuss performance improvement, this is one of the topics that is discussed. Most of the replies that I receive is... "In my country nurses are not trained to do this and this is the job for the aides" I was trained in the USA and team work is important in getting your tasks done, and providing good patient care! Is this true about their training or are the foreign trained nurses feeding me a crock of 'putrid milk"! Please, this is not to offend the nurses that are not trained as prima donna's.

I dont know if this is specifically a foreign trained nurse problems, there are many american trained nurses as well who will hunt down a nurses aide to do the trench work.

Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

does this apply to foreign educated nurses too ?

Sorry couldn't resist, anyway as a foreign educated nurse I would say that you need to inservice them on the concept of operating within a team. I learnt a whole lot about teamwork from a headnurse I worked with back in the UK that wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and led by example. I learnt a bunch more when I worked in physical rehab and saw that it took a team to get the best outcome for the patient. Maybe you can have teamplayer of the month awards or something.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
does this apply to foreign educated nurses too ?

Sorry couldn't resist, anyway as a foreign educated nurse I would say that you need to inservice them on the concept of operating within a team. I learnt a whole lot about teamwork from a headnurse I worked with back in the UK that wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and led by example. I learnt a bunch more when I worked in physical rehab and saw that it took a team to get the best outcome for the patient. Maybe you can have teamplayer of the month awards or something.

:yeahthat:

Most nurses in the UK will do all care management, staffing levels do not allow any other, plus I find it a good way to get to know my patient and them get to know me, plus do an assessment without them being aware and putting them under further stress

What's wrong with saying to those nurses, "Fine, but in the US we all pitch in and work as a team." Said nicely, of course. Educate them about how there's no such thing as aide work, that the aides are there to assist us. It needs to be done with respect....."I understand that things were taught differently where you come from, and that tasks may be different, but this is how it's done here."

Specializes in Range of paediatric specialties.

I think the term foreign trained nurse is interesting. I find that nurses who are trained in English speaking or OECD countries tend to nurse in a similar way. But nurses from poorer countries where families do the personal cares and they administer drugs and clinical treatments to up to 60 patients have a very different type of job.The OECD countries you generally have up to 6 patients for total patient care imagine being given 30-60 patients . i do think the issue of migrant workforce is a pressing one. if nurses don't speak the same language as patients and have a different expectation of their role the quality of care doesn't meet expectaions . All nurses and nursing the worl over is not the same and recruiters should be mindful of this. I've worked in the UK and the states and I know how the work differed from New Zealand but at least the basics were the same .

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

It can indeed be a cultural thing. Perhaps in orientation, it would be beneficial to clarify that when in the US, nursing is conducted differently. Another way to put it is to clearly state the expectations of nursing in your facility. Even here in the US, different facilities have different cultures. However, I do think it needs to be addressed.

Specializes in Hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, transplant..

Could not resist to respond. Your ignorance and arrogance just amazing.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Could not resist to respond. Your ignorance and arrogance just amazing.

Would be nice to expand on this. I have worked with foreign trained nurses from a certain area who was amazed as us doing such basic care as in their country they didn't do it and couldn't understand why we was doing what they considered a family requirement. Atleast the OP is looking at a way of dealing with it in a nice way

kidznurse;2067781]I think the term foreign trained nurse is interesting. I find that nurses who are trained in English speaking or OECD countries tend to nurse in a similar way. But nurses from poorer countries where families do the personal cares and they administer drugs and clinical treatments to up to 60 patients have a very different type of job.The OECD countries you generally have up to 6 patients for total patient care imagine being given 30-60 patients . i do think the issue of migrant workforce is a pressing one. if nurses don't speak the same language as patients and have a different expectation of their role the quality of care doesn't meet expectaions . All nurses and nursing the worl over is not the same and recruiters should be mindful of this. I've worked in the UK and the states and I know how the work differed from New Zealand but at least the basics were the same[/b] .

I just had to reply because of this quote is shouting I AM IGNORANT!!!

Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.
I have worked with foreign trained nurses from a certain area who was amazed as us doing such basic care as in their country they didn't do it and couldn't understand why we was doing what they considered a family requirement.

Just to interject, my parents are now living in Spain and apparently family members there are expected to carry out basic care for the patients. Perhaps the hospital in which you work needs to apply the same cultural considerations to their foreign new hires as they do their patients that come from different cultures. Maybe they should intoduce it in their formal orientation program.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Just to interject, my parents are now living in Spain and apparently family members there are expected to carry out basic care for the patients. Perhaps the hospital in which you work needs to apply the same cultural considerations to their foreign new hires as they do their patients that come from different cultures. Maybe they should intoduce it in their formal orientation program.

to be honest once they realised how we worked they quickly joined in

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