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Will You Greet Nursing Immigrants with Open Arms?

Right now, the hottest topic on the minds of RNs across the country is the Senate immigration bill with a small but significant provision allowing an unlimited number of foreign healthcare workers to live and work in the United States. It is simply unavoidable as headlines in newspapers and websites across the globe are touting the possibility of this unprecedented news. Nurse Village is here to help you sort out the facts and possible outcomes of this new bill in order to simplify forming your own opinion.

Senate Bill 2611 –– As it pertains to the healthcare industry: The Senate Judiciary Committee passed an immigration bill that includes two AHA-backed (American Hospital Association) amendments that address hospital concerns. The most notable pertaining to healthcare workers is the amendment by Senator Sam Brownback, R-KS, which would allow an unlimited number of qualified internationally trained nurses to work in the U.S. The bill would also permanently extend the State 30 J-1 visa waiver program, which allows foreign physicians in U.S. residency programs to stay in the country after their training if they agree to practice in an underserved rural community for three years. Having been passed in the Senate the bill is now up for review in the House of Representatives.

The American Hospital Association reported in April that the nation's hospitals had 118,000 vacancies for registered nurses. The government predicts that the shortage could grow to more than 800,000 by 2020. During the past 10-12 years, more than 50,000 foreign nurses have immigrated to the U.S. According to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2006, released in April, a shortage of more than four million healthcare workers in 57 developing countries ¬¬¬¬–– most of them in Africa –– is affecting efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The report also says that sub-Saharan Africa, which has 24% of the global disease burden, has only 3% of the healthcare workforce worldwide and accounts for less than 1% of global healthcare. In the U.S., there are 937 nurses for every 100,000 residents, compared with 114 nurses in Kenya and 21 in Ethiopia, according to the report (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/20).

According to a New York Times report back in May, Senator Brownback, who sponsored the proposal and has supported global HIV/AIDS and malaria control efforts, said the bill is not likely to worsen the shortage of healthcare workers in Africa because the continent lacks the infrastructure of companies that recruit nurses for the U.S. and because there is no large community for African nurses to tap into. The bill, if passed, is likely to affect countries that already are sending large numbers of nurses to the U.S., including the Philippines and India.

Many nurses believe this “band-aid” bill does not address the real concern in the growing U.S. nursing crisis. “Nursing schools across the country are turning away hundreds of qualified students every year. The problem is that there are not enough qualified teachers and there are requirements as to student-teacher ratios in school,” said one anonymous blogger. “Here is a novel idea –– get more nursing schools up and running and stop this short-term approach to solving problems.”

Whether you believe this bill will aid in the U.S. nursing shortage, or believe the problem is deeply rooted in educational issues, the fact remains that this is a solution the government is seriously considering.

With no cap on immigrant healthcare workers, the U.S. population could possibly skyrocket as immigrants bring their families into the country. Concerns voiced among the healthcare community include decreased wages, job loss among U.S. citizens, any number of governmental problems including national protests, as well as global problems among nursing shortages in poorer countries.

To actively voice your opinion on this issue and others, please visit http://www.house.gov/writerep/ to contact your Congressman.