With the booming and oft repeated message of nurse staffing shortages here in the U.S., I'd like to know how nurses really view what I perceive as a growing trend in searching globally for nursing talent. Thoughts?

 A really bad idea.

Hiring nurses is nothing more than outsourcing by another means. Foreign nurses WILL and DO work for wages American nurses will not accept.

I am not concerned about my job. The only threat to me is foreign trained anesthesiologists.. and that door was closed a long time ago. There are no CRNAs in any other country with the education and scope of practice we enjoy here in the US. The medical community all but shut the door on this practice... I see no reason why the nursing community should not do the same.

leng says ...

That's how it is working right now, and we have no way of not accepting this since this helps a lot in filling in the shortage.

NOw, what worked for the other doesn't mean, would also work on this one (your concern). We should know better than that.

 

And they are driving down the wages of US trained nurses.  There needs to be a stop to this or even nursing will go the way of manufacturing jobs.

leng says ...

Then the problem should be address properly. Foreign nurse graduates are no way at fault to this. They are just doing their job and taking the opportunities, they shouldn't be blame if the world has shortage for nurses and the government having no immediate plans regarding the problem. Come up with a better solution and impliment it ASAP, but while we don't have a solution for that, the foreign nurses should be regarded for the help they are giving. After all nursing is caring irregardless of where you come from, or what race are you in.

OK here is the solution... A nurse from some third world country comes to the US .. from a job in a country that pays... $20 a DAY.... they will undercut the wages of US nurses every time. The solution is to LIMIT or even ELIMINATE the entry of foreign nurses.

It was done in the medical community.. we should follow suit.

leng says ...

don't you think you are being too harsh on the nurses that comes from the third world country, that only seek better opportunities abroad just to feed their family?! it isn't their fault if they are being hired all over the world because of their competencies, their efficiencies and being known as  one of the best nurses that provide care. The problem is not within these people, the problem is with the system, and as long as the system doesn't work right , you can keep complaining and the nurses from the third world country will continue to do their job, that is to be there where they are needed.

The problem is they are willing to work for below market wages.

I am aware of why they do it.. just as I amaware people will buy running shoes made by child labor .. my point it.. my resposibility is to MY COUNTRY and the citizens of MY COUNTRY.. period... we cannot prevent manufacturing from leaving the US.. we CAN restrict the entry of cheap labor.. and we should do so.

The medical community took steps to restrict the entry of foreign physicians.. to the point i have met a foreign physician who went back to school to become a nurse to gain entry to this country to work as a nurse. I think our governemt should restrict the entry of nurses from other countries...... as for a nursing shortage? please avail yourself of the multiple posts from American nurses who cannot find jobs.

oh i think there's a storm coming- such heavy winds blowing me away!

After reviewing the banter I think there is a simple solution. All nurses should be required to be trained and pass the NCLEX-RN before practicing in this country. If you can do that you should have the ability ( the same way we can go to a number of other countries for nursing opportunities) to work. I agree with both Alphamale and Leng on their assessment, however, the industry should be regulated to protect the nurses in the US. Now I would not dare say the word "Union" but a system should be in place. Too many hospitals/ doctors/ clinics etc. (both for and not for profit) would sell their souls to save a buck and companies sponsoring foreign nurses provide that opportunity, unfortunately the agency is the only one making money because the nurse is coming from an area where they make $ 20 a day and don't know better. I believe nursing should have lobbyists in DC fighting for our rights, why not make it mandatory for ALL RN's to be paid a minimum starting wage of $ 20.00 per hour no matter what state you work in. Then their would be no low balling.

Help americans become nurses.  I worked for a company that contracted Phiipine nurses. They paid their way over, paid for their housing. Those nurse took all the extra hours. When their contracts where up they found jobs elsewhere. The company paid all that cash for those nurses. Yet would not pay good benefits and pay to the American nurses. Something is wrong with that pitchure.

There would not be a nursing shortage if nurses where treated better, paid better and not expected to put the job first and their families last.  This is why yound women and men study for a less demanding career. 

I've worked as an RN and administrator in ten facilities, and have owned two recruiting agencies.

The idea that foreign nurses "work for less" is baloney. Unless you're talking about a very very small private employer., RN's are paid a standard rate based on shift and sometimes experience.

When I was in nursing school they practically begged local high school students to apply. There were just not enough. Foreign nurses are recruited because (as you say) here nurses are not paid enough - they also suffer from salary scale compression.

Meanwhile, don't blame the foreign nurses.  They graduate from excellent schools, work hatrd and, yes, take all the extra hours they can get. That's because they're not spolied, and are willing to work for their pay - the exact same pay the American nurses get.

The health care industry, with the assistance of the US Federal Government, has manipulated the nursing labor market, through both overt and covert means, for the purpose of maintaining poor working conditions, poor job security, and low wages for nurses. The utilization of foreign nurses is just one of the means to further this labor market manipulation. The purpose of this nursing labor market manipulation is to reduce costs and to increase profits for the health care industry. Given the hostile, adversarial, and unprincipled attitude that the health care industry in the USA, with the assistance of the American Federal government, has taken against nursing and nurses, nurses should leave the profession of nursing and discourage others from entering into the same.

mlaude says ...

Big Salute to leng and Capt.Eric for not demoralizing foreign nurses especially Filipino nurses who really are very hard, hard working, reliable, competent and very good nurses that have way higher education than us here in the US. FYI, all these nurses have to take and pass the board in the PHIL.and other requirements before they could come here plus passing the NCLEX before they could practice nursing here. i wish i had went to nursing school in the Philippines! They are not just nurses by title but they are Nurses because they are caring and that was what nursing is about!!!

If you wnat to continue a practice that decreases the wages in areas where they are hired, please, go ahead.  I actually have no dog in this fight as there are NO CRNA programs in ANY other country. So, I am interested in this on a theoretical basis only.

Considering your grammar and verb tense agreement, I can see where you would think they have a superior level of education, but I will have to disagree.

Well said Capt. Eric, taking it from a very experienced hospital administrator and well seasoned nurse yourself - you are talking with sense!