Nurses from aborad....

sjoe · Aug 22, 2002

See the thread "US licensing exam to be given in foreign countries" on "General Nursing Discussion" for more on this.

UKRNinUSA, RN · Aug 22, 2002

those darn pesky foreigners

correct me if I'm wrong- the United States is a country of immigrants and descendants of immigrants - Alan Smith doesn't sound like a native American name to me

eltrip · Aug 22, 2002

Another proud product of immigrants right here!

Remember "Comin' to America" by Neil Diamond? I am amazed that so many people are still wanting to come to this country, with the current terrorist threat that has landed on our shores!

Glad to have nurses from anywhere as long as they can speak the language & deal with our culture. And, of course, as long as they are treated fairly by TPTB.

I agree that the causes of the shortage need to be addressed. I sure wouldn't want to prevent immigration to this country on the basis of being a nurse...not being competent in the language, sure, no problem. Anyhow...

Just my 2 cents worth. I'll stop rambling now.

fergus51 · Aug 22, 2002

Another semi foreigner here (dual Canadian/US citizen).

Nurses are allowed to write the American exam when they can prove their qualifications. They pass the same NCLEX you had to. Guess what? American nurses can do the same thing in other countries! They can go and work in foreign countries too. Why aren't you complaining about those pesky Americans stealing jobs from the locals, like you do about immigrants stealing jobs from Americans? Are there really that many immigrants jumping at the bit to move to Utah and steal your jobs and ruin nursing as a profession? Damn. I didn't think our evil plan was known by the real Americans yet. :devil:

researchrabbit · Aug 22, 2002

Originally posted by fergus51
Damn. I didn't think our evil plan was known by the real Americans yet.

I ALWAYS suspected you Canadians of having devious designs! Actually, from having visited and having relatives there, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing!

alansmith52 · Aug 22, 2002

Actually yes I belived people in the philippneswill seek nursing as a means to come here. and the article did raise question to theri clinical competency.

And imagine you are a membe of al quidia. cna you think of an easier way to get here.

' most of all this. What does the ANA have to gain by reliving the shortage. we will show CEO's and Insurace compnanies that we are not as rich a comodity as we think we are.

alansmith52 · Aug 22, 2002

foringners from uk and canada or even australia are obviously no what I am talking about.

i mean nurses from under develped countires whos education is questionable.

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Aug 22, 2002

Dear Mr Alan Smith,

Please , on the behalf of some that worked in other areas in the world., Dont generalize so... I myself have worked in Singapore, Cairo, Egypt and South Africa with some of the best trained , (with less equipment), nurses in the world. Yes there are Nurses coming from 3rd world countries to work in the good Ol USA, and I will be more than willing to assist anyone of them to better thier lives in doing so. If they are trained to handle the situation , and can Pass the NCLEX , just as I have then so be it, They are not taking anything from any one nurse in here, but possibly helping many nurses in here in reducing a load that is beyond rediculous.

They are coming the hospital I am currently on assignment with. They recruited over 1000 possible Nurses all RN'S, to help fill the gap, and I will be glad to see them, but they have things to accomplish before they can taste the american way.

The majority of this country is founded on immagrants, Unless you are Native American Indian , you are a "forgeiner " as well.

I have yet to run into anyone when Im working overseas with that American trained RN is taking my job, if anything they are so thankful as we are another Nurse with hands and a brain has come to help.

Just my 2 cents

Zoe

alansmith52 · Aug 22, 2002

All of your (collective) arguments regarding immigration and racial equality are well founded and I belive them. As I think of it my argument is more toward the value of the profssion.

stay with me for one second. after centries Nurses are finally being seen. reports are showing that we do make a diffrence. Hosptals are having to close O.R.'s We knew all along that it would take a healh care crisis inorder to be recognized. The CEO sitting in the big office is finnaly saying F"oh I guess we do need nurses and we are not just complying to JChO after all, we actualy need them" Nurses are finally being paid more than ever (not near what their worth) so my question is simply this. Why do we want to rush right out and ease that CEO's Burden. If he really needs nurses he can get them we all know it. if he offers us 70000 a year I've got a team of thousands that will be at that hospital tomorrow. this is what needs to be forced to happen.

by recuriting Nurses from abroad we are only helping the CEO to relize what he already knew. that we are worthless. they will be able to pay these people much less. in the long run when the shortage is over they will be able to keep nurses for cheaper.

Nurses deserve respect and reimbursment. now that it is about to happen we will be our own worst enemy. why? because we care. we care too damn much. we would rather take an enternal pay cutt than see our patinets go without the best of care.

hmmmmmm

sjoe · Aug 22, 2002

It is the height of naive political analysis and short-sighted as well, to look at this matter of importing nurses as simply a way to fill hospital vacancies that American nurses don't want to fill.

It is clear enough that by taking pressure off the health care system to begin treating their employees, nurses included, decently, we are helping no one, except in the very short term. Short-staffed nurses gain a brief breather--but at a major price.

Hiring all these nurses from other countries (and by the way, since they are mostly here on work visas, not as immigrants, an equivalence cannot be made between them and immigrants) simply takes the pressure off these hospitals to improve.

THAT is what so many people are objecting to.

So far as the notion of other countries not complaining about American nurses moving to their lands and taking their nurses' jobs--I can only assume that is a joke.

What incentive could these other countries offer US nurses to relocate? A few can and do offer more money for certain specialties than their US equivalents, others can offer a missionary setting that is attractive to some, some nurses relocate because their spouses have done so for a job transfer, other nurses just want to do some international traveling/working.

Otherwise, the number is stunningly small compared to those wishing to move to the US to work--as it is in most fields. They are complaining because WE are stealing THEIR nurses, not that we are sending ours to them!

Get real.

caliotter3 · Aug 22, 2002

I used to think "more power to them" about anybody who came from abroad to better themselves and their familiies. Then I really did lose my job to one. (And, rest assured, it was not b/c this person was better qualified!). Slightly changed my viewpoint. You know what they say about people not caring about issues until it hits home. But, unfortunately, what really has given me a bad taste in my mouth, has been observing some of the on-the-job beh. It gets tiring to keep up the smile and always be somewhat defensive of co-workers when pts make legitimate (and not legitimate) complaints about them. But still, when you get right down to it, I remind myself that an individual does not have to be from abroad to conduct themselves in a bad manner. We just tend to notice them more.