The healthcare sector worldwide has taken a hit since the Covid-19 pandemic. The significance of healthcare workers like doctors, surgeons, nurses, paramedics, and lab technicians has been recognized widely. There was a serious crisis of nurse shortage in the USA during the pandemic. The nation has been recently resorting to hiring nurses from other countries to tackle the demands. Did you know that increase in the US foreign nurse recruitment is the result of high turnover due to nurses’ burnout? Healthcare staffing firms in the USA have been facing huge requirements for the past few years However, such international nurse recruitment is a strenuous process for the recruiters considering the protocols and permits involved. With our recruitment experts, we have collated a few strategies and ideas to ease the process of hiring foreign nurses in the US market.
Interest
The foremost challenge in hiring nurses from other countries is the Visa and sponsorship. One of the key international nurse recruitment strategies is to find a simple and credible way to acquire work permits for the nurses. With urgent requirements and strong demands, healthcare staffing firms can easily effectuate the immigration of foreign nurses. For instance, a home care nursing job is widely sought after in the US due to high nurse turnover and inconsistency. Such requirements can be fulfilled through recruitment from abroad. As US foreign nurses recruitment has become popular, neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico are showing more interest in landing the job. In such cases, the recruiters must follow smart and effective strategies to find the right candidate at the right time.
Desire
Are you looking forward to hiring nurses from other countries? Is your hospital in need of more registered nurses? Then, international nurse recruitment is the best and most cost-effective choice. In under-served locations in the USA, the shortage of nurses can be compensated by hiring nurses from abroad. Foreign nurses are known to serve well in such areas. Also, the increase in US foreign nurse recruitment favors the nation’s diversity and inclusion policies. Doesn’t it seem fair to have such benefits while also tackling the shortage of nurses? Let us now further understand how healthcare staffing firms can effectuate foreign nurses’ recruitment in the US market easily.
Action
As the recruiter is the first point of contact for foreign nurses to commence their US job experience, he/she must identify the best suitable candidate based on work permits and skill requirements.
- “Schedule A” Permanent Residence
The US employers can directly recruit foreign nurses by sponsoring their permanent residence through the “Schedule A” petition process. The recruiters must understand the extent of the requirement before sponsoring this. If there is a dire need for foreign nurses, especially in under-established areas of the country, and can cater to long-term goals, then they can proceed with this sanctioning. Candidates must have a certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and a full state license to practice.
- TN Visa for Mexican and Canadian Citizens
In the USA, hiring nurses from other countries became popular after identifying the potential of foreign nurses to stay consistent in the job and perform efficiently. So, under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the nation has made an easier trail for nurses from neighboring countries to immigrate. These nurses must also quality the Visa screening process with certification from CGFNS and other licenses. The recruiters can utilize this pathway to cater to urgent demands for nurses. This works well in the case of a home care nursing job with immediate requirement for a consistent nurse.
- H1-B for Non-immigrants
Employers can also sponsor a temporary H1-B Visa for foreign nurses mentioning the need for filling specialty occupations. This type of international nurse recruitment requires a bachelor’s or equivalent degree in a specialty field. Though this may be challenging to some healthcare employers who do not expect such a degree in a specialty field, this can greatly help during massive requirements when the country can make exceptions on the number of Visas approved. This can also benefit the employer in such a way that the candidate cannot switch jobs while being under this contract.
- Screening based on competency
Irrespective of the type of residence and work permit, international nurses must go through certain licensing and certification processes to clear the screening. Having the aid of an international nurse recruiting agency can greatly help in this stage. The recruiters must ensure the following:
- Completion of graduation in a relevant accredited program and registered nurse license in their country
- Clearing the language proficiency assessment
- Obtaining the state-approved license on passing the State Board of Nursing evaluation
- Passing NCLEX-RN
- Assuring smooth transition
The recruiters must guide the candidates throughout the recruitment to attain a smooth transition. Guiding them with renting//buying houses, determining moving costs, helping with networking in their work location, and allocating them to the most suitable job roles are some of the responsibilities of the recruiter. As part of the US foreign nurses recruitment, the recruiters are the pivotal points of contact to enable seamless completion of the hiring process. They must also ensure the quality of the hire followed by onboarding support before the stipulated time.
- Strategizing a long-term plan
Though hiring foreign nurses seems to be a feasible and effective way, employers must identify the areas of improvement within the US market to promote local hiring. This saves much more time and cost for the recruiters. The extent of planning and considerations involved in hiring international nurses is high compared to working with US registered nurses. So, to tackle the roadblocks of nurses shortage and ease the process of international hiring, employers must strategize a long-term plan that cannot impact the work permits and consistency of foreign nurses.
Having known these strategies, it is the employer/recruiter’s competency to know the best suitable approach to hiring foreign nurses. They must make the process of immigration and job placement easy for nurses from other countries. Assisting them throughout the transition and allocating them to the right job position favors not only the nurses but also the employer who has immediate demands. So, start acting on planning a long-term strategy for hiring foreign nurses.
