Seeking info on Global Scholarship Alliance

[llg, PhD, RN]

Have any of you ever heard of this company? I am seeking information on it because they would like my hospital to use their services (at a very high price, of course). Apparently, they are a traveler agency that specializes in placng RN's hospitals nearby schools they want to attend to further their education. They claim that most of the nurses they place are from North America and not from overseas. But that doesn't make a lot of sense to me and I am skeptical that they are telling us the whole story. It's nothing personal against foreign educated nurses: I just prefer to deal with companies who are up front about what they do.

I posted this in the General Forum because I didn't want to limit my request to only traveler's or grad students.

Anyway ... If anybody has any knowledge of this company, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

llg

[llg, PhD, RN]

I am bumping this thread.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Never heard of them

Website waves huge flag:

Global Scholarship Alliance (GSA) is a leading provider of scholarships and U.S. hospital employment for registered nurses. Our mission is to develop the world's next generation of nurse leaders and educators. We achieve our mission by partnering with universities and health systems around the U.S. to create customized work-study programs.

GSA's programs provide qualifying internationally- and U.S.-trained nurses with scholarships for advanced nursing degrees combined with multi-year hospital employment. We offer relocation assistance, NCLEX reimbursement, immigrant visa sponsorship for internationally-trained nurses, and temporary housing upon arrival.

Buyer beware is right. If majority "US trained nurses", why the need for NCLEX reimbursement....they should already have passed NCLEX in order to be considered a nurse!

[caliotter3]

I wouldn't answer that ad if a recruiter showed me noncounterfeit cash and offered to accompany me to the bank in order to get me to sign on the dotted line. Too many warnings going around about shady business characters. Long time ago, even saw something about some people trying to pull some type of scam to get teachers.

[caliotter3]

To paraphrase the comments of a nurse, these hospitals could do better by sending recruiters into the nearest nursing programs with offers of financial help in return for employment commitments; they could also recruit at local high schools. There are plenty of nearby qualified candidates who only need some encouragement. Offers of scholarships and employment are good will gestures that pay off.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Those were some of my thoughts, too. I'll be meeting with a company representative later in the week (along with the Dean of a local nursing school). I was hoping to find someone who had first-hand knowledge of the company and its practices who could give me some inside info first.

[Selke]

Pretend to be a private investigator. Maybe you could get a couple of nurse acquaintances to contact this company and pretend they are looking to work for them, to find out that way what they're about? Esp. if you had, say, a Filipino (as the "foreign nurse") and a white friend (the control), see how the recruiter responds to them.

[ltvixen]

they came to our big job fair in the fall (i'm in atlantic canada). said basically after 1-2 years experience in a 'demand area', we apply for jobs at hospitals where we work full time as hospital employees and GSA pays for us to attend a local masters program parttime, with no time owed at the completion of the degree. you are restricted about what locations are offerig what masters programs, but otherwise it sounds great. which makes me nervous. as for foreign as in not from north america nurses, i couldn't tell you. but they came recruiting in canada.

[iviek]

i can confidently say that GSA is currently recruiting nurses from the UK&Ireland, Im a uk trained nurse and have already signed their contract, which offers full time employment and part time study in New Orleans. i really don't know anyone who have used their service before and i would be glad to find out more about GSA from people who have worked with them in the past. im not bound to the contract until i pass the Nclex so any advice will help.