8:1 pt load, foreign nurses, let's import more to maintain profits, keep costs down!!

Hi,

At my old job, I was routinely subject to 7-8 pts. per noc. With one CNA/Tech for 36 pts.

I'm a "half breed" - but other than me, every other nurse and tech on the unit was born and brought up USA.

This was good ol', midwest USA. Cornfield country.

Let me add that I have nothing but respect for foreign nurses, but nevertheless I'm opposed to the importation of them for a nursing 'shortage' that only exists because American nurses won't work in deplorable conditions such as I saw yesterday.

Stop 'importing nurses' till nursing education in the US catches up to demand? You yourself said that "American nurses won't work in deplorable conditions such as I saw yesterday" - would you rather that those patients have no nurses at all until a solution can be arranged? If you were a patient on that floor - would you care if your nurse was "imported" or "american born"?

Yes, I'm convinced, the importation of foreign nurses is a means to undercut the bargaining power of the American nurse, keep working conditions sub par, and keep profits margins up.

thanks,

Matthew

Unfortunately this nightmare may become the norm in many hospitals across the US. Foreign nurses are more than willing to accept horrendous conditions and minimal pay for the opportunity to work in the USA.

Why hire one strong willed American nurse who knows his or her worth, when you can get 3 foreigners for less?

MY point is that this hospital's policy, rather than improve their ratios, is to employ foreign nurses at a high percentage. They are apparently the worst hospital in the region, as was admitted to me by the charge nurse. Coincidence that they also had an extremely high percentage of foreign nurses? I seriously doubt it, any more than I doubt that sweatshops employ mostly non-Americans, or new immigrants as their mainstay because native born Americans won't settle for inhumane working conditions as readily as desperate immigrants from poor countries.

Your assignment didnt sound half bad to me. Atleast you had a cna and a charge nurse. I do the same every night on a tele floor 7 to1 pt ratio, the charge nurse has 6 to 1, a cna is a rare treat, no secretary to answer call bell, and you watch the monitor yourself. Needless to say we have problems when pep brady down and noone is at the desk to hear or see it. Consider yourself blessed. As for the foriegn nurses, just my observation but they are always concentrated on floors that noone else dares to go. I think they recruit them to these areas as if there is no other openings anywhere else where American nurses will hold out for other areas or go to the MD offices. Just my opinion ofcourse.

You know I saw a study by some university professor. He said he looked at hundreds of cases where skilled labor was imported LEGALLY from other countries. He said that managment always claimed "they can't get qualified people in this country". Careful research by him showed that it was ALWAYS about cheap labor and about reducing cost. Those managment statements about "can't get qualified people in this country" were managment code talk for "we won't pay qualifed people what they are worth in this country" This was in all industries not just health care. I suspect nurses are imported into this country to keep cost down, attracting USA born nurses cost money and they don't want to spend it. Also, I suspect pleas to increase number of new grads by the healthcare industry is largely a cost containing mechanism. New grads are cheaper and it takes them a while to catch on to the fact they are being abused and then even a while longer to begin to protest. By then there is another batch of newbies to replace them.

Oh, this hospital has ratios of 10:1 for the nightshift, just thought I'd mention that.

Let me point out that, having an 8:1 ratio is dangerous, and it's equivalent to reducing wages. Yes, these nurses probably make the same as nurses in other hospitals, but their caseload is double. This type of pt load is unsafe, in my opinion.

Let me point out that, having an 8:1 ratio is dangerous, and it's equivalent to reducing wages. Yes, these nurses probably make the same as nurses in other hospitals, but their caseload is double. This type of pt load is unsafe, in my opinion.

of course it's dangerous.

who could dispute that?

and yes, the hospital admin is saving $$...

paying for 8:1 versus 8:2

let's say there are 24 beds and nurse makes $50k, this hospital is saving $150k for 1 shift only!!

and, how does even one try to quantify what one's life is worth, which is exactly what we are endangering by agreeing to such caseloads???

for those who wonder "who will take care of these pts?", i suggest to stop being a martyr.

this is precisely why we remain disrespected.

sadly and yes, there will always be those who agree to working in such conditions.

as a result, it keeps working conditions unsafe, pt safety a non-issue, and our wages suppressed.

can't say it's all foreign nurses though.

as we know, it takes all kinds.

leslie

I think they should "import" nursing instructors. It's awful that there are so many qualified pre-nursing students that get turned away from school because there aren't enough teachers.

When I worked on a surgical ward, we had 1 :16ratio on nights. I did my meds pass, repositioned patients, did all my obs, had nervous breakdown etc. I think it is probably like this in all NHS hospitals.

Just like to point out that since Oct 2006 foreign nurses have been affected with retrogression and no visas. Also when the nurses go through the process the hospital has to pay the same as a US nurse. Not always fair to blame foreign nurses when it could be the hospital does have issues recruiting local US nurses. Don't get me wrong I do believe own country nurses should always be employed first before foreign nurses

When I worked on a surgical ward, we had 1 :16ratio on nights. I did my meds pass, repositioned patients, did all my obs, had nervous breakdown etc. I think it is probably like this in all NHS hospitals.

I even remember working in the UK on a general ward of 28-30 patients with only 2 RN's and 2 health care assistants and we will did everything and this was on afternoons and morning there would be 3 RN's but generally the 3rd was the sister/charge nurse and they didn't take any patients