Survey: Should nurses from other countries be recruited to aid in the nursing shortag

hospicemom · Jul 16, 2004

Hospital Administrators, Nursing organizations, and Nursing schools are all well aware that there is no shortage. Nurses are working in other fields everywhere, they just refuse to work in hospitals. Short staffing, cost cutting, being bought and sold by "hospital corporations", being berated about the budget, productivity, and "Oh, by the way, can you work overtime", all contribute to nurses leaving hospitals. What about 12 hour shifts which have been proven in umpteen studies to contribute to errors and poor care? Do the hospitals really believe that we don't understand that two 12 hour shifts means paying one less set of benefits for the third shift that would work 8 hour shifts? We do not need foreign nurses, we need to address the problems imposed by the system currently in place. As long as the dollar is more important than the patient, we'll never go back to the hospital.

I am a floor RN And I can say that we would NOT have the shortage at the hospital in the way we do if it wasnt for cutting costs. They take the number of patients, the acuity level and then put it all in a computer that tells how many RNs LPNs and CNAs we get, which is NEVER enough....it doesnt take into consideration admissions or that one pt who is on the bedpan every 5 minuts...or if we havea few patients getting blood. It gets so frustrating I could spit.

UCLARN · Jul 21, 2004

what a bogus percentage. Don't you think you are grossly exagerrating. Now as an RN, don't you have the ability to write them up (incident report) if you see fit?

This month's survey Question:
Should nurses from other countries be recruited to aid in the nursing shortage?
Where I work, there are a lot of conflicts between a majority of the workers because most of the nursing staff are Phillipinos and it creates tension in the workplace b/c there is favoritism when there is a Phillipino supervisor at night, they all get to slack off and stand around b.s.'n in their own language, and when someone brought these problems up to the supervisor, they acted as if they were offended, but then what did they continue doing???? No not all of them are acting this way, but 98% are, and God forbid anyone says anything about it. It wouldn't bother me so much if they would just stop ignoring the rules of our facility and be more professional and work more. :uhoh21:

UCLARN · Jul 21, 2004

it's hard to get inactive nurses to coming back. they left because i assume conditions sucked. as for disabled nurses, depending of course on severity, yes they should recruit them, but not as staff nurses.

undefinedundefinedundefined
all
foreign nurses are not the issue, our lack of working nurses is. there are nurses brought over fronm the phillapines that are here for a year, all expenses paid, prior to them starting jobs. they are supported by the hospitals they will work for. why is no one acting on inactive nurses? why is no one looking at disabled nurses. i am disabled and work full time from a chair.

Sheri257 · Jul 21, 2004

It's hard to get inactive nurses to coming back. They left because I assume conditions sucked.

There are about 500,000 inactive licensed RN's, but lousy working conditions may be only part of the reason. 70 percent of them are over age 50 and may not be able to work. In the last survey, retirements and deaths jumped from 25,000 to 175,000. So a lot of it could be age as well.

:coollook:

DANRN2000 · Jul 21, 2004

I plead ignorance! So I have a few questions?

1. Who does the recruiting? (?Goverment, Hosp, Agency, Headhunters, HMO's, other)

2. Are they paid at present RN wages?

3. Are they "servants" to someone or some orginization that has funded their travel? (many immigrants are required to "pay off" their relocation)

Just wondering.

Dan

Rep · Jul 21, 2004

There are about 500,000 inactive licensed RN's, but lousy working conditions may be only part of the reason. 70 percent of them are over age 50 and may not be able to work. In the last survey, retirements and deaths jumped from 25,000 to 175,000. So a lot of it could be age as well.

Just want to add an info regarding of nurses' age here in the Philippines. Majority of the nurses here are between 22 to 45 years of age. :)

tantalus · Jul 22, 2004

I agree that bringing in nurses from overseas is not the real long term answer..the "shortage" is global.

That said, I'm from UK and I'm trying to move to AZ because I feel I can have a better life there for my family and myself....that's all there is to it...it's a small world and I for one wish to take advantage of that.

tantalus · Jul 22, 2004

Dan, maybe I can help from the experience I've had.

1. It's usually Agencies that recruit overseas but the hospitals are jumping onboard and doing their own.

2. Pay is generally close to the new grad level because experience is overseas and not in the US.

3. If you are recruited by an agency/hospital then they usually ask and expect a 2 year commitment during which you cannot be employed elsewhere because that's part of the immigration approval.

Hope this helps

Rep · Jul 22, 2004

I plead ignorance! So I have a few questions?
1. Who does the recruiting? (?Goverment, Hosp, Agency, Headhunters, HMO's, other)
2. Are they paid at present RN wages?
3. Are they "servants" to someone or some orginization that has funded their travel? (many immigrants are required to "pay off" their relocation)
Just wondering.
Dan

1. Usually it is the agencies who do the recruiting. They have staff, laywers to do that unlike hospitals who don't have. Job fairs conducted here are being represented by agencies. It is during the interviews where hospital representatives would be present. The hospitals would pay the agencies their services once the nurses are it the states working for them.

Also common are staffing/travelling agencies that would hire nurses here.

2. Wages would usually depend on what state is the assignment. Usually based on legal minimum wage or as a new grad.

3. Nurses recruited here have to sign an employment contract for two or three years of employment with the hospitals/employers. Once a nurse is in the state and is not satisfied with the contract, she can buy the contract but its too expensive. Between $5000 to $10000.

Agencies/hospitals will shoulder the exams, immigration fees, plane fare and two months apartment rental.

AmethystVeralyn · Jul 25, 2004

It's more important what types of people they are

than where they came from.

I have seen foriegn nurses who brought their poor

English and bad etiquette into the patient care setting.

I have seen them refuse to speak English and have also

seen them talk down at their co workers and treat

them like incompetant little children.

I have also worked with and been taken care of by some wonderful foriegn caregivers.

Once more we don't have a nursing shortage in the US, we have a shortage of WORKING nurses. Other countries are in no better shape with their nursing situations. I guess companies/hospitals will continue to do it though because they can, we have the financial muscle to attract the nurses.
I welcome our foreign nurses, I love working with them, they bring different ideas and experiences that I enjoy. I don't think we should restrict them coming into our country like some, just don't support recruiting efforts.

renerian, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2004

This thread is long lived.

renerian :)

Rep · Jul 25, 2004

This thread is long lived.
renerian :)

Well, you can not put a good thread down! :balloons: