Comparison of Pending Legislation on Nursing Immigration Issues
11/05/01
"The American Nurses Association (ANA) has posted a chart which compares two bills currently pending in Congress, with an existing law that affects the status of "temporary nurse visas" issued to aliens."
Due to heavy lobbying by the hospital associations, federal legislation is now in the works to increase importation of foreign-trained nurses & make it easier to recruit more of them from other countries.
The ANA is strongly opposed to this as a solution to the shortage of bedside nurses & has testified that the shortage is largely caused by working conditions that US nurses find unacceptable. The solution is not to bring in foreign nurses who will accept these unacceptable conditions - but to improve these conditions so that US nurses will find working in these jobs worth while, will return to them and to nursing as a career.
It is the ANA's contention that filling the shortage gaps by importing foreign trained nurses side-steps and diverts attention from the immediate problem, which is the unacceptable working conditions these jobs offer all nurses - conditions which will persist if other nurses are brought into these positions from other countries and are obligated to accept these unacceptable working conditions just to remain in this country.
ANA has prepared a detailed chart comparing the current H1c visa limits and the new legislation that is pending and how they differ. ANA strongly opposes the new pending legislation and urges all nurses to contact their elected officials in doing the same.
To view comparison chart, go to ANA: Government (Federal) Affairs: Temporary Nurse Visa vrs. Rural/Urban Health Act
Excuse me for jumping in here but the problem is not with the foreign trained nurses.
The problem is with the employers recruiting them to avoid the fact that US nurses wont take the jobs because of current working conditions.
The problem is that employers want to use recruitment of foreign nurses in order to avoid having to fix those conditions.
If they can bring in enough foreigners who are obligated to work their visa, they wont need those of us who are demanding improvements be made before we come back to work - & then wont have to make the improvements.
Its not the foreign trained nurses who are causing the problem. Its the employers who dont have their priorities in order
ie:
Putting a million $$ to a budget for overseas recruiting while at the same time saying they "cant afford" to purchase lifting equipment, hire ancillary staff for non-nursing functions, eliminate mandatory OT, increase nursing salaries, compensate for education, experience, specialty certification, and longevity, improve benefits/pensions, add seats to their nursing programs, etc. etc etc.
PS
My daughter is looking at colleges now. As far as scholarships go, I have seen some offered only for students of African descent, some offered only to students of Hispanic background, some offered only to inner city, minority students, and some offered to anyone with incomes that dont meet certain levels - regardless of race or ethnicity. And Ive even seen one for students who live on farms. Also, The Sons of Italy offers one only for students of Italian descent. The Hibernians only for students of Irish hertiage. The Polaski Society only for students of Polish background. And the list goes on. Any group can decide who it wants to offer scholarships to. There are plenty of scholarships that dont say they are for white only but if they say "Italian-heritage only" or "Irish-heritage Only" the chances are pretty high that those students are Caucasians. So if the NAACP wants to offer a scholarship to "African-heritage only", whats the problem?
Will the importation of non US RNs help solve the current and projected RN shortage? I doubt that enough RN can be recruited to relocate to the USA to solve this problem.
Does the importation of non US RNs do anything to treat and eliminate the root causes of the current and projected shortage? It doesn't address the root causes at all and in fact might exacerbate the causes for the projected shortage.
To get back to -jt"s original postings, we all need to contact our Federal Legislaters in regards to the previously mentioned bills on this thread and others.
I wonder how many took the time to do that? Maybe we should poll the posters. It takes less time to contact all three of your Federal office holders then to read the postings on this thread.
we all need to contact our Federal Legislators in regards to the previously mentioned bills on this thread and others.
yup. Thanks for reminding us what the topic was about. Making our elected officials work for us on these matters. So are mine & yours the only ones who got an earful from nurses on this?
To all the nurses in the U.S. I am a nurse from South Africa and I would like to know what are the terrible working conditions that you are faced with....just to see if we have the same problems. Often there have been times that I've worked in a state hospital where there are 4 nurses to 56 patients ( 1 RN, 2 Staff Nurses, & 1 Enrolled Nurse auxilliary).....very common practice this side.
From what I have read, it seems to me that many of the foreign nurses that you work with, seem to have nothing but good words. I have, in fact, worked with a few American nurses in my country and it seems to me that you are very technologically advanced, but the level of nursing skills and theoretical knowledge appears below par of the final year nursing student in South Africa. I have worked aboard the worlds first Health Care Train, which brings primary health care to the people of rural South Africa, I teach & supervise final year nursing students from most of the nursing institutions in S.A. and I have measured them up together.
There are many questions I would like to pose to nurses from the U.S.
1. What are your primary complaints about nursing in the U.S.?
2. What are your impressions of foreign nurses? Are the standards lower than those of Americans?
3. What reasons do you think, these nurses have left their families and home country, to work in the U.S.
That last question..... my answer is to improve their social well-being. In South Africa one dollar is th equivelent to 10 South African rands....if a nurse earns $ 1000 per month in the U.S. ,
R10 000 is a lot of money to feed the family and send the children off to a very good school, this side. Considering the fact that the average person earns about R 3 500 per month.
Please, Shandi, the next time you try to judge people who are from a poorer background than you are....try to see it from their point of view !!!!!! (Basic Sociology!!!!!!!)
I'm not too sure of how your training goes in other countries, but here in South Africa...the government pays for nurses to study and hence we have thousands of people aplying for the posts.
They are given a basic salary to study and work, but the catch is...if you fail....your're out for good. When I was a student there were only 50 posts available, but we had 17 000 applicants which were narrowed down by a very careful screening process.
I don't think we will be short no nurses here....but the government is trying to stop nurses from leaving the country because firstly they are losing a great deal of qualified and very well experienced nurses, and secondly they are losing large amounts of money because they paid for their education.
Comparison of Pending Legislation on Nursing Immigration Issues
11/05/01
"The American Nurses Association (ANA) has posted a chart which compares two bills currently pending in Congress, with an existing law that affects the status of "temporary nurse visas" issued to aliens."
Due to heavy lobbying by the hospital associations, federal legislation is now in the works to increase importation of foreign-trained nurses & make it easier to recruit more of them from other countries.
House legislation sponsor:
Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee D Texas
Senate legislation sponsor
Mr. BROWNBACK R Kansas(for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mr. HELMS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary Lee, Sheila(introduced 8/1/2001)
I am a student nurse in the UK, and some of my best teachers are those who moved into the UK. I never realised the huge scope this topic had in America. When i qualify in the UK I will earn the same amount, or less that I get per hour working at MacDonads, allthough i will be expected to work a lot more hours!
Which is why when we get recruiters from the USA and Canada offereing us the chance to earn four time that it makes it a real choice. As long as the quality of nursing is the same, I can not see why there should be a problem.
Unemployed American Nurse in Tampa Florida Needs Work !
Looking for a "job"(pratice) in Tampa Florida is a very daunting task. I have been licensed for over 7 years. I have worked in a wide variety of settings.
First and foremost, nurses in Tampa are a dime a dozen! Compensation and benefits are all quite low here compaired to the local income necessary to sustain an AMERICAN middle class life style (on one income).
Looking at the employment ads in the Tampa Tribune newspaper indicate that there are few current openings for nurses in the area. Internet searches fare even worse. The ones presented are mostly for night shifts (I really can not adjust to working nights) seasonal or temporary staffing. "Compatable pay rates" are quoted later being under $20 hour. There is no shortage of nurses here.
Secondly, there are many hospitals and employment settings quite close to my home that are considered to have "underserved" or rural populations. These entities are able to recruit forein nurses to supplement thier inability to "find" locals nurses to "pratice" in their settings. The "underserved or rural populations" in this area are simply not valid! The reasons they are "underserved" are because the employers choose to "under-serve" them.
Finding a job (praticing nursing). has been very difficult ever since I was first licensed. Imported nurses were in direct competition with me for every job I applied for.
I do not begrudge imported nurses! They are here due to a wide variety of factors. I do take issue with the FACT that I am unable to engage in a pratice setting that will allow me to earn a consistient Floridian American middle class standard living!
Perhaps if a ready supply of imported nurses were unavaliable employers would raise compensation, provide more flexability in pratice, provide better training to exsisting nurses and even give respect for the lowly asrn.
Well Grant when student nurses are in training here they receive a bursary of around £5400 and that has to go towards their living costs and accommodation. It simply isn't enough in a country with a high standard of living. To supplement their income many students work as care assistants. Others appreciate large debts. - the salary after training is equally poor when you consider that other graduates can get a lot more money.
Also there are plans not to give this bursary to foreign students.
That's why there is a nursing shortage.
As for South Africa we hear that there is a lot of Aids there - so I guess your nurses are needed
Well Whisper I read your posting - I don't know your reasons for going into nursing, but honestly the US is not that good, asnd therefore I beg to differ with the large American presence.
Firstly in the UK if you decided to stay you can get £16+ an hour in regular hosptal work in London working with an Agency. But you would be wise to work first for at least a year in the NHS.
I stayed in Uk for three years after qualifying and then worked in Israel as a nurse ( for lower wages but an ideal) - then worked in Paris, France for two years.
I can understand your eventual wish to travel as the RGN is also a passport.
As for the US I worked illegally on a farm there in 1975 and there is a big difference between rich and poor. Dollars do not grow on trees.
-jt
2,709 Posts
Excuse me for jumping in here but the problem is not with the foreign trained nurses.
The problem is with the employers recruiting them to avoid the fact that US nurses wont take the jobs because of current working conditions.
The problem is that employers want to use recruitment of foreign nurses in order to avoid having to fix those conditions.
If they can bring in enough foreigners who are obligated to work their visa, they wont need those of us who are demanding improvements be made before we come back to work - & then wont have to make the improvements.
Its not the foreign trained nurses who are causing the problem. Its the employers who dont have their priorities in order
ie:
Putting a million $$ to a budget for overseas recruiting while at the same time saying they "cant afford" to purchase lifting equipment, hire ancillary staff for non-nursing functions, eliminate mandatory OT, increase nursing salaries, compensate for education, experience, specialty certification, and longevity, improve benefits/pensions, add seats to their nursing programs, etc. etc etc.
PS
My daughter is looking at colleges now. As far as scholarships go, I have seen some offered only for students of African descent, some offered only to students of Hispanic background, some offered only to inner city, minority students, and some offered to anyone with incomes that dont meet certain levels - regardless of race or ethnicity. And Ive even seen one for students who live on farms. Also, The Sons of Italy offers one only for students of Italian descent. The Hibernians only for students of Irish hertiage. The Polaski Society only for students of Polish background. And the list goes on. Any group can decide who it wants to offer scholarships to. There are plenty of scholarships that dont say they are for white only but if they say "Italian-heritage only" or "Irish-heritage Only" the chances are pretty high that those students are Caucasians. So if the NAACP wants to offer a scholarship to "African-heritage only", whats the problem?
Students can apply for the any that fit them.