Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortage Essay

The Rapid growth in the aging baby boomers and the shortfall among the full- time equivalent nurses intensify the profound need for skilled nurses, thus, resulting to a massive importation of foreign registered nurse. To that end, several debates and questions sprung due to the governments considerable quick- fix in the shortage; imploring the legalities and the little attention given to the academic sector that strives to combat the problem. With the health care system being the beacon of a nation’s prosperity, addressing problems of statistics with just importation might be a problem itself. With the use of the nursing process, this paper examines the problem at hand, the actions taken and other solutions that may be use in the nursing deficit. Assessment According to the study by Brush, Sochalski, & Berger (2007); during the past 50 years, only 5 % of the United States nursing workforce was imported. It was only in the second half of 1990 that nearly 10,000 foreign nurses migrated. By the 20th century, as revealed by the American Hospital Association Survey of the Hospital Leaders (2007), difficulty in the hospital staffing of nurses garners 2nd or 44% over other hospital positions, with 49% dissatisfaction among nurses and issues of hospital capacity that garners 48% in all hospitals, acted as a bubble to the registered nurse shortage. This in time increases due to a decline in the graduates and the number of candidates taking the National Council Licensure Examination. Now with the increase in life expectancy, The American Hospital Association (2007) projected 75 million will be at the ages of 46 to 64 by 2010; Resulting to an increase in the needs and resources to match up with the future challenges of bedside care especially with chronic conditions in regards to old age Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortage p. 2 With a baseline of 2,347,000 demands for full-time equivalent nurses by 2010 as shown by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) it is projected by that only 83% of the total demand will be responded. Approximately there are 116,000 vacant positions for registered nurses or 8. 1 % national vacancy rate (HRSA, 2006). With a big shortage to relieve, the government pushes its efforts to create a more enticing and beneficial area for other nurses abroad to work in the country. Which therefore act as the driving force of the robust and lucrative business of recruitment agencies, that surges a worldwide manpower search resulting a turnover of foreign nurses in the hospital sector of about 71. 5 % as of 2000 alone (Brush et al.2007). In a 2004 survey by the Department of Health and Human Services, over 100,000 foreign born nurses, half of which are Filipinos, are already working in the U. S. (Savage, 2006); Thriving on the 42 % hiring rate of hospitals that have been reported by AHA Survey of Hospital Leaders (2007). As the nurse-patient ratio discrepancy is being filled up, problems with the local sector particularly with the academe tends to shake the grounds; Imploring on the little attention being given by the government to the local sector. As 42, 000 qualified applicants in 2006- 2007 were turned away by US nursing schools (Kuehn, 2007), the problem undermines an institutional problem due to lack of funds to train fresh graduates in relation to lesser clinical training placement, a growing faculty shortage, and a higher percentage of registered nurses that is not practicing as a full-term equivalent nurse in relation to a better shifting, work facility, and compensation on other fields. Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortage p. 3 The lack of support for a transition program for the foreign nurses and an increasing foreign recruitment cost for the hospitals also lingers on the sideline. As stated by Parkland Health & Hospital System executive Beth Mancini, MSN, RN, FAAN, in an interview by Heather Stringer last 2002 for Nurseweek. com â€Å"The costs of hiring foreign nurses have substantially increased. † And that several nurse executives said â€Å"It costs about $10,000 to recruit an international nurse today and can take between 18 and 24 months for the nurse to arrive. † With the shortage problem seemingly to increase every year, several nurse executives contends that importation might not just be a short-term solution, and not the best that is, resulting to an aggressive stand to ease the institutional inadequacies. Diagnoses Importation reliance related to limited manpower secondary to work dissatisfaction and or insufficient college programs The unprecedented migration of foreign nurses only resolves the short- term problem in the health care sector. Instead of concentrating on importation, the root of the problem should be taken into account, as well as the drawbacks of relying on importation. Which does not only hinders U. S. institutions growth, but decelerates foreign countries health services. Planning With a wide range of interplaying reasons of nurse deficit, a formulated component of nurses’ shortage is applicable to organize the core problems within the dwindling insufficiency among the heath care sector. Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortage p. 4 Components in the nurses’ shortage: †¢ Decline in the public perception of the attractiveness of the nursing profession. Contributed by an increase in professional opportunities for women outside nursing, unattractive salary and longer career advancement. †¢ Unfavorable working conditions. Precipitated by problems on working hours, increase in the nurse-patient ratio, safety and size of the hospital facility. †¢ Inadequate institutional resources. That resulted to a shortage among nursing educators, a shift or state migration to bigger hospitals and lesser clinical placement. Implementation To bolster a growth in the U.S nurses population, problems that arise should be tackled on its ground roots. Using the nurse shortage component list, a summary of programs will be emphasized to meet the underlying causes of the nurses’ shortage. To encourage an influx of students to take up nursing, favorability and a positive avenue for growth and development must be shown. With the studies and advancement made by the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP) in their third report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Congress last April, 2003. Solutions to the formulated list will be guided by the requirements of the Public Health Service Act as amended by the Nurse Education and Practice Improvement Act of 1998. 1. Decline in the public perception of the attractiveness of the nursing profession. Concentration to provisions that support career enhancement, Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortage p. 5 and expansion of knowledge and skills such as the Nurse Reinvestment Act and Career Ladder Grant Program which facilitates and funds further study of nursing specializations and enough appropriations for nurses to become faculty members. 2. Unfavorable working conditions. Enhancing patient care delivery system via granting funds related to communication among heath professionals for continuity of care. Giving out an award that develops internship or residencies for motivation, setting up limits to working hours, and establishment of programs that set nurse staffing to the level of care needed by the patients. 3. Inadequate institutional resources. Reaching out to the young members of society by granting scholarship program in exchange for community service, loans, and monthly stipends. Aside from concentrating on the students, faculty turnover should be address by giving out funds to nurses in exchange to become full- time students that are geared as a future faculty. Evaluation The immense power of a nation to import should not be the sole solution to any inadequacies of a country, though importation is beneficial to fill in the gaps, foresight is much needed to give a better perspective of what is vital for a country to grow. Providing continued support to the local system most especially to the academic and medical institutions, fosters a bigger advantage to the local sector. It produces insurmountable avenues and resources with for further health care challenges. Such actions taken by the NACNEP brings about a wider range of possibilities for the profession to grow. References American Hospital Association. (2007, May 8). When I’m 64: How boomers will change health care. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www. aha. org/aha/research-and-trends/index. html American Hospital Association. (2007, July). The 2007 State of Americas Hospital-taking the pulse. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www. aha. org/aha/research-and-trends/index. html> Brush, B.L , & Sochalski, J. , & Berger, A. M. ( 2004, May/June). Imported care: recruiting foreign nurses to U. S. health care facilities. Health Affairs, volume 23 (3), p 81. Health Resources and Services Administration. (2003, November). National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice: Third Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Congress. Health Resources and Services Administration. What is behind HRSA’s projected supply, demand and shortage of registered nurse? Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://bhpr. hrsa. gov/healthworkforce/reports/behindrnprojections/6.htm Kuehn, B. M. (2007). No end in sight to nursing shortage: Bottleneck at nursing schools as a key factor. Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 298 (14) 1623-1625. Savage, L. (2006, April). Bandaids will not heal the nursing shortage. Hypercube Center for Science and Medical Journal. Boston University College of Communication. Stringer H. (2002, June 6). Foreign investments. Nurseweek. Retrieved on November 1, 2007 from http://www. nurseweek. com/news/features/02-06/international. asp WANTED: Imported Nurses Importing nurses from overseas for the nursing shortageÃ'Ž