Many hospitals are facing a shortage of registered nurses and have started looking internationally to find qualified candidates for long-term positions.

While travel nursing can help in the short term, international recruitment focuses on bringing in skilled nurses on a contract-to-hire basis, meaning they intend to stay and work for a longer period of time.

The demand for healthcare professionals is growing, especially as the baby boomer generation ages and the need for medical services increases. This has made it challenging for health systems to find and keep nurses in a competitive job market.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be around 203,200 job openings for registered nurses each year until 2031 due to retirements and nurses leaving the profession. In a survey conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, it was found that approximately 800,000 registered nurses plan to leave the profession by 2027. 

To address this shortage, healthcare leaders have explored international recruitment as a way to fill these open positions.

Bringing in international nurses to provide healthcare services in the US has not only helped hospitals meet patient demand but has also formed partnerships with staffing firms that can supply foreign nurses as part of the workforce. According to Patty Jeffrey, president of the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment, one out of every six registered nurses practising in the US is an immigrant.

Foreign nurses can enter the US with an EB-3 visa, which has an annual limit of 40,000 green cards. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has created a higher demand for nurses, surpassing the supply and causing a backlog in visa applications. According to the National Visa Center's "Immigrant Visa Backlog Report" from April, there are still over 390,000 pending visa interviews. The US State Department recently announced that it will not accept any new visa applications for foreign nurses in 2023. 

Only those who submitted applications before June 1, 2022, are eligible for visa interviews. This decision has raised concerns about the additional staffing pressures it may cause in the industry. Experts predict that the processing time will significantly increase, meaning nurses who apply this summer may not be able to enter the US until 2025 at the earliest. Healthcare providers and industry groups have warned that this backlog will worsen the current nurse staffing shortage in the US, according to the American Bar Association.

The freeze on green cards could be another challenge for hospitals struggling with recruitment and retention. To meet the demand for patient care, health systems are likely to rely on staffing firms for temporary staffing solutions. To better support health systems, healthcare staffing firms like TriOptus have increased their use of automation and technology. With inbuilt technology stacks to enhance outreach and crawl through the entire internet, TriOptus has expanded its talent pools, reached more candidates, simplified the hiring process, and ultimately shortened the time to hire these healthcare professionals.

FAQs

Q. What is international nurse recruitment?

A. International nurse recruitment refers to the process of hiring qualified nurses from other countries to work in healthcare facilities in a different country.

Q. Why are hospitals turning to international recruitment?

A. Hospitals are facing a shortage of registered nurses, and international recruitment helps them find skilled nurses to fill long-term positions.

Q. What is the difference between travel nursing and international staffing?

A. Travel nursing fills short-term needs, while international staffing focuses on bringing in nurses from offshore locations such as India, Philippines, Australia, etc who want to work in a particular role for a longer period.

Q. Why is there a shortage of healthcare professionals?

A. The demand for healthcare professionals is increasing due to factors like the aging baby boomer generation and the growing need for health services. This creates a challenge in recruiting and retaining enough nurses.

Q. How can international nurses help hospitals?

A. International nurses can help hospitals meet patient demand and form partnerships with staffing firms to ensure a steady supply of healthcare professionals.

In conclusion, the shortage of registered nurses in hospitals has led to an increase in international nurse recruitment. While travel nursing addresses short-term needs, international staffing brings in qualified nurses on a contract-to-hire basis, ensuring a long-term workforce solution. With the demand for healthcare professionals surpassing the supply, health systems face recruitment and retention challenges. 

International recruitment offers a viable solution, and TriOptus, a healthcare staffing firm, plays a crucial role in supporting hospitals by leveraging technology and automation to expand talent pools, simplify onboarding processes, and speed up the hiring process. 

However, the recent freeze on green cards for foreign nurses poses additional challenges, exacerbating the staffing shortage. Despite these challenges, TriOptus, through its intricate network of immigration consultants, continues to provide contingent staffing solutions to meet patient demand and support healthcare systems in their recruitment efforts across US and Canada. 

To explore opportunities with TriOptus Health, please visit www.trioptushealth.com or call us at +1-240 799 1040 to speak with one of our Career Experts.