International recruiting has emerged as a popular solution to the ongoing nursing shortage, but the strategy fails to address the underlying issues fueling the staffing crisis, three nursing experts wrote in a May 4 commentary published in Health Affairs Forefront.
Recruiting international nurses, alone, will not solve the nation's staffing crisis, as the tactic does not resolve "problematic organizational cultures that are unsupportive of nurses" and fuel high turnover rates in healthcare facilities.
"The assumption, on the part of hospital and other healthcare facility/system administrators or policymakers, that [internationally-educated nurses] would accept the same subpar working conditions that are causing U.S.-trained nurses to leave clinical practice in U.S. health systems is offensive," the experts argued.
They suggested several federal-level policy changes the U.S. should enact to provide a more sustainable and equitable solution to workforce shortages. Efforts include offering healthcare organizations incentives for retaining U.S. nurses and designating nursing as a science, technology, engineering and mathematics field, which would create additional work visa options for international nurses.
"IENs play a vital role in the U.S. healthcare system, but relying heavily on their recruitment to address the national nursing staffing crisis is not a sustainable solution," the experts wrote. "It is like trying to use a Band-Aid to stop a hemorrhaging wound — it may provide temporary relief, but it will not work in the long run. Instead, it would be more beneficial to focus on retaining the existing workforce while also creating more equitable and accessible pathways to employment for IENs. By doing so, we can address the staffing crisis in a more comprehensive and sustainable manner."
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