I have noticed in the past two days that people are posting threads that are directly angry at the Filipino nurses..simply they are getting the jobs from us!
Well, I have seen nurses coming from Canada, U.K., Mexico and Eastern Europe as well; and it seems to me most of you don't want to mention this. Is that mean nurses from Canada, and U.K. are treated differently?
I could like to point out the Filipino nurses just like many others; they are educated, having strong sense of being team players and working hard just like many of us...Most of all, they are very committed and their overturn rate is relatively low. When it comes to the overturn rate, the management will consider it as a way of saving money! I have seen many U.S. educated nurses will quit their jobs or they just disappeared somewhere... Do I want to work with nurses like that...Of course, I don't! I have been assigned to four patients in the Med/Surg ICU inasmuch as some nurses just called in sick! They are so irresponsible! They jeopardize the patient's lives and my license! It is a mystery for them to become nurses in the first place.
When you look back, this country is indeed built on racism! Look at the African Americans...and I have just proved my point! Has anyone of us recalled there was a vice president who could not even spell the word "potato?" Unfortunately, history always repeats itself and if you have the right skin color, it does not matter whether you can spell some simple words or not....and you will get the job!
At the end, I would rather work with people who are very committed to their work and have the disciplines to go to work when they are supposed to go to work!
Umm, I can barely read past your anger. If you were talking, I wouldn't understand a word that you said...
I could care less if I clocked in, and found out I was the ONLY ICU nurse working. I would take my two pts, and my manager and house supervisor would figure out the rest.
Do I need to hold your hand to explain that one to you?
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Again, I could care less why nurses called in sick. It doesnt' affect me, at all.
Now, time for you to take a deep breath. You're getting a little out of control. Sad when anger controls your life, isnt' it?
This is an ICU, not Med/Surgical Unit! You can flow the ICU nurses into the Med/Surg Unit but it is hard to do it the other way around. If this happened in ICU, all other units had similar problems as well! It has been like that in that particular medical center.
You stated that you only take two patient in the ICU, even if you are the only one to show up to work; well, I have never seen a nurse doing it! Nice to meet you! You are the first one to say so! Management knows the problem, none of them can fix it!
If they could get the sick day accumulation off the contract, I am sure part of the problem will be solved!
For those of you who are worried that boatloads of job-snatching foreign nurses are jumping into the system on a daily basis, immigration for nurses and physical therapists has come to a near stand-still and is not expected to increase again for years. The fact the US employers are laying off staff has adversely affected those who are waiting and may cause some who are already here to have to return to their country of origin.
The few visas that were granted in January of 2009 went to folks who had approval dates going back to 2005. New visa numbers are expected to shrink even further due to the downturn in the US economy.
In a tight job market, it's tempting to look for someone else to blame, but remember that many foreign nurses who are here now were brought over when employers couldn't keep jobs filled. Now that this has changed, the welcome mat has been rolled up and tucked away in the attic. It probably won't return any time soon.
If and when it does, employers and lawmakers are the ones who should be lobbied so that immigrants are not used to undercut wages and working conditions. I think that's something we can agree on.
Thank you!
As I said, I am strongly disagree with the foreign nurses especially in this economic crisis which will be over anyway. But I am also disagree with all those nurses who are irresponsible...I guess they have forgotten why they wanna to become nurses in the first place! In the ICU, Filipino nurses seem to be more reliable! If I see their names, I know they will show up and this matters the most!
I think the message and the point of this thread is that we need to be aware that retrogression may be lifted in Oct 09 and the voice of nurses needs to be heard.
Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
Thank you!
In the ICU, Filipino nurses seem to be more reliable! If you see their names, I know they will show up and this matters the most!
Wow, that sounds pretty prejudiced to me.
BTW, if I have accumulated paid hours and need to use them for sick days, why is that an issue? Nurses NEED to feel that they are able to call in sick, especially in an ICU! That is my benefit to use as I need to, and I don't go around speculating about who's called in sick tonight. I sure as heck don't tie it to their nationality.
BTW, if I have accumulated paid hours and need to use them for sick days, why is that an issue? Nurses NEED to feel that they are able to call in sick, especially in an ICU! That is my benefit to use as I need to, and I don't go around speculating about who's called in sick tonight. I sure as heck don't tie it to their nationality.
Yeah...You are right about it! Perhaps I should have called in sick just like others...
I remember that night we had 2 code blues! By the way, how you like it if one of the patients was related to you? Have you thought about it?
Uhm, on behalf of the Canadian nurses who read this forum, I just want to say you haven't got a clue, do you?
Ever heard of NAFTA? Your country, my country and Mexico signed it. Makes it easier for North American workers to move between countries as well.
Now can I break a few bubbles? Many of us make more than US nurses. A new PN starts at $21/hour, a new RN at $30. Add in shift diffs and it goes higher. We are unionized, have great benefits. Not as many of us go south as did in the '90s. Most go to a warmer climate, have the urge to travel but most return home within five years. One nurse I know walked out due to racism in the work place after 6 months.
Should we start sending home the US nurses who come north to work in our system? The ones that love being able to have universal healthcare without paying huge monthly premiums, who enjoy the protection of our unions?
Get your ducks in order before you start shooting.
One thing to remember though,that all nurses that currently work in the USA, regardless from what country, need to be treated with respect and kindness. But the immigration of RN;s has to stop. In7 mths, retrogression may be lifted and the Dept. Of Homeland Security has already made plans to "FastTrack" RN VISA's on immigrating RN's. Read the conclusion at the bottom of the policy: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/c...ndation_36.pdf
There are two thoughts expressed in the conclusion.
Let's start with the second one first. The report recommends that immigration ought to be a simpler, less cumbersome process for those who attempt it. That doesn't seem unreasonable.
The second thought--the one that could sound ominous for new grads--is that the US faces a nursing shortage that negatively impacts patient care.
This report was issued in early December. The wheels of government grind exceedingly slowly. Chances are the report was based on information gathered last fall, last summer, or even earlier. The economy has changed drastically since then, so, realistically speaking, the shortage has at least temporarily evaporated. And there goes the urgent need to import nurses.
As I stated in an earlier post, layoffs and hiring freezes will mean that some immigrants who are already here under certain types of visas will have to return home. As jobs dry up and investments shrivel, nurses who have been out of the workforce may have to return due to spousal layoffs and other financial concerns. The simple laws of supply (far more than there used to be) and demand (not so much) will functionally eliminate the nursing shortage for the time being.
On the other end of the pipeline, would-be immigrants are being warned to expect a wait of years, many years in some cases, before they will be allowed to come here. In the Philippines, responsible people are telling nursing students and student wannabees to look for another career if their primary reason for obtaining their RN degree is to come to the US. There are already so many other RNs in the Philippines, they will probably not be able to work as nurses there either. The wages are ridiculously low and some nurses actually work for little or nothing just to get the coveted year of experience they need to emigrate. Some have relocated their dreams to the Middle East or Australia, but few will be coming here any time soon.
With unemployment growing here in the US, immigration is expected to become more difficult, not less, and it wasn't a piece of cake to begin with.
Yes, we should keep track of what's happening and make certain that our lawmakers do not drop the ball on the issue, but it probably isn't wise to spend an inordinate amount of time on a concern that is pretty much moot. Better we should focus on improving working conditions and bettering other situations that face us here and now.
I remember that night we had 2 code blues! By the way, how you like it if one of the patients was related to you!
Then I'd say that your place of employment has pretty crappy management.
Do you think they get away with this practice, the practice of allowing an ICU nurse to care for 4 ICU patients, which ultimately resulted in 2 code blues because the floor was staffed with foreign nurses? Do you think this could have happened because they knew that they could do it?
Did you ever consider that? I mean, you clearly have english as a second language, we can all tell that. Yet, you appear to be so against foreign nurses, but claim not to be one of them.
It's all so strange.
Fact is, some places have foreign nurses under their thumb. The fact that you would even consider taking 4 patients is beyond me, and if any of they had an adverse event (such as a code blue), then it is YOUR fault (so says the laywers and the state board, and your hospital too).
So, in addition to driving down wages and presently taking jobs that Americans need, could it result in unsafe staffing because management knows that they could deport you?
whatever the situation maybe, it doesnt call for racial, or bigoted remarks.... im an american citizen who just happens to be educated and finished my BSN in the philippines .....and yes i am filipino... and i for one do not believe that the workforce in the the medical field, nursing in particular is overflowing with filipino nurses, it just so happens that this profession is one that filipino immigrants tend to flock to...but it doesnt mean that it is being overtaken by them .. i have co workers of all colors and races and cultures.... and there are only a handdul of filipino nurses within the facility...
Uhm, on behalf of the Canadian nurses who read this forum, I just want to say you haven't got a clue, do you?
Ever heard of NAFTA? Your country, my country and Mexico signed it. Makes it easier for North American workers to move between countries as well.
Now can I break a few bubbles? Many of us make more than US nurses. A new PN starts at $21/hour, a new RN at $30. Add in shift diffs and it goes higher. We are unionized, have great benefits. Not as many of us go south as did in the '90s. Most go to a warmer climate, have the urge to travel but most return home within five years. One nurse I know walked out due to racism in the work place after 6 months.
Should we start sending home the US nurses who come north to work in our system? The ones that love being able to have universal healthcare without paying huge monthly premiums, who enjoy the protection of our unions?
Get your ducks in order before you start shooting.
She left for racism! This is interesting! I thought racism does not exist in America!
I have heard about NAFTA, but I don't know it is a part of it when Canadian nurses wanna to come to America to work. Nice to know it! Thank you!
By the way, the LPN's in New York City makes more than $21/hr with benefits. I used to make $25/hour without benefits because I was working for an agency; and that was nearly 5 years ago before I became an RN.
By the way, how you like it if one of the patients was related to you? Have you thought about it?
lpn2icu
144 Posts
This is an ICU, not Med/Surgical Unit! You can flow the ICU nurses into the Med/Surg Unit but it is hard to do it the other way around. If this happened in ICU, all other units had similar problems as well! It has been like that in that particular medical center.
You stated that you only take two patient in the ICU, even if you are the only one to show up to work; well, I have never seen a nurse doing it! Nice to meet you! You are the first one to say so! Management knows the problem, none of them can fix it!
If they could get the sick day accumulation off the contract, I am sure part of the problem will be solved!