Over the past few years, Americans have witnessed a shortage of nurses in hospitals that reverberate from coast to coast. While the shortage has been reported on for years, it is increasingly visible in U.S. hospitals where foreign-educated nurses are now employed. This has prompted a surge of new opportunities for those trained abroad.
One report estimates that by 2020, there will be a shortage of over one million nurses in the United States. As a result, hospitals are increasingly hiring nurses educated in foreign countries. These nurses are filling unique roles within the medical field, working as both RNs and LPNs [5].
Covid-19 Crises:
The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the demand for healthcare workers, rewriting the job landscape across the country. In addition to a rise in open positions for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, a new analysis released Wednesday looked at which occupations were being most impacted by the pandemic.
The Most Experienced ones are retiring:
As baby boomers retire, the U.S. is facing a serious nurse shortage. In fact, some of the most experienced nurses are retiring right now, taking with them decades of specialized experience. For example, many ICU and emergency room nurses are at or near retirement age—and these are also the roles that tend to be the most stressful, demanding and critical to patient safety. We believe it’s our responsibility to address this national health care challenge.
Approximately 20% of nurses plan to retire in the next 5 years, according to a 2016 study. For facilities that rely on older, experienced nurses, this can pose a real challenge. In fact, more than 40% of respondents in a 2015 survey said they had trouble hiring enough qualified nurse candidates.
The population of active nurses in the U.S. is aging. By 2022, the average age of registered nurses will be 45. In addition to this, new graduates are not entering the workforce quickly enough, which means we might see a shortage of over 100,000 nurses by 2025.
Conclusion:
So, what can you do to get a job as a foreign-educated nurse? While there’s no one right answer, these tips offer a good starting point. Minors, especially students with dream jobs already in sight, should absolutely explore possibilities while they’re still in school by completing their applications early and asking their schools for advice. For those who don’t have a job lined up after graduation yet, it’s never too early to start planning for the future. Apply for scholarships or grants that will give you an extra boost when it comes time to apply for jobs. And finally, don’t be afraid to apply to more than one hospital. With a little bit of research and planning, you too can follow in so many foreign-educated nurses’ footsteps and find yourself working as a nurse in America.
I think this has a lot of potentials. It’s evident that our society values nurses and nursing, and that we would like to see more nurses remain in the U.S. If U.S. hospitals can find a way to flexibly employ nurses who are foreign-educated, then perhaps they could tackle this problem—at least in part. We’ll be curious to see how things unfold.