60 Minutes Foreign nurse recruiting

Nurses General Nursing

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The 60 Minutes program this evening will have a snippet on overseas recruiting to fill positions at US hospitals. I wonder what they'll say about the nursing shortage. There are a couple of other topics on the program as well.

Chuck

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

June 9, 7 p.m. ET/PT

NURSING SHORTAGE - As over 120,000 nurse positions go unfilled in the U.S., recruiters must seek nurses in countries like South Africa, which can ill afford to lose them. Lesley Stahl reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13502.shtml

I just went to a lecture given by a nurse from Swaziland and recruiters from Britain and the US are luring away their nurses. A hospital in a poor country like that just can't compete and the citizens will suffer for it.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

so not only do in the usa we hog natural resources, but nursing ones, too? omg, it is unreal. when will we learn? i am not sure i want to see this show! but then, it pays to be educated as to what the media thinks and tells the public at large.....

We just had a bunch of nurses arrive from the Phillipines. they are getting 3 months rent free in Apartments a couple of blocks from the hospital, free meals in the barfateria (if that doesn't make you run home nothing will) and free cable tv (Average around here $50-60/month). This is all well and good but why aren't they doing this for the other new hires from this country????

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

good question nancy.....when WILL WE LEARN???

That was my question to, why so little effort put into retention, so much expense and effort put into recruitment from other countrys.

I watched the program and was impressed by the fact that nurses and nursing educators were the sources of information, not CEO's or physician groups. THe nurse on the cardiac unit showed that she was working at a stressful pace. The questions of nurse-patient ratios, wages, public perception, and respect as professionals were each touched on in the short report.

I feel that the recruitment of staff from other countries is very unfortunate in that it leaves the people living in those countries in a worse position than we could ever imagine. The recruiters excuse that if they didn't do it, someone else would is like the drug dealer explaining that if he didn't make drugs available, someone else would. The western nations need to solve our own problems, not rob the third world countries of their human resources.

The program clearly stated that healthcare organizations can't get by without nurses, and tried to show how recruiting is hurting the other countries involved. The nursing educator brought up a few good points about recruiting and supporting students as opposed to continuing recruiting.

What's the answer? I wish that I knew. This topic has been discussed here several times. Once healthcare became big business and for profit (regardless of how a facility is classified), the administration and insurance providers took over and the dollar became the bottom line. We have known this for a long time, I hope that this program will help the public to begin to realize it too.

Chuck

Still, I fail to see how recruiting from other countries can possibly save the hospitals more money than just paying us right. :confused:

One more thing, about that situation where the nurse could not give blood because there was no one to go pick it up at the blood bank Boy does that seem familiar. One of the reasons I liked working at a small hospital was that things like lab and blood band and central supply and pharmacy were near by. I could make a mad dash and get supplies myself. Many, many times my patients would have missed or been late for important meds or treatments due to logistical problems if I had not been able to take care of things myself. However, I must admit I always worried something would happen while I was away.

I worked at a small hospital. Few staff. And when we needed emergency meds/blood/central supplies we had to run to that unit....working on a step-down we had many emergencies/STAT's.

At a larger, inner city hospital. (the hospital is 4 times as big) We have a elevator/"system" that sends all our emergeny meds/blood and another for central supplies.

I wanted to see this 60 minute program soooo bad. I wrote it on my calendar....so I'd remember. Did I....nope!!!!

Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Chuck,

The answer is simple, reallocation of capital in order to retain and attract RNs

Sleepyeyes it saves money indirectly(or so th suits think) by bringing RNs into this country from overseas the are increasing the supply and lessening the demand, therefore they think this will eventually lower the cost of RNs. Don't think so, there aren't enough foreign RNs out there to recruit in numbers that will make a significant impact on our shortage in either thelong or short term. The ethical question of enticing resources from other countries that also desparately need them is another story. But then that is how capitalism works.

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