Recruiting Immigrants for Long-Term Care Nursing Positions

Abstract

Recent immigrants and workers in foreign countries are two groups frequently identified as potential sources of new workers for nursing positions in long-term care (LTC). Recruiting workers directly from other countries, either permanently or temporarily, is difficult because of restrictive visa classifications; is unlikely to impact significantly the worker shortage; and may have risks that outweigh the potential rewards. On the other hand, with targeted recruitment and retention efforts, the nation's rapidly growing immigrant population (the so-called "New Americans") can become an even more important source of labor for frontline LTC workers. To be successful employees in LTC, however, New Americans will have to overcome a variety of cultural and language barriers. Equally important, the institutions and agencies that comprise the LTC system must exhibit a higher level of sensitivity to cultural differences. Efforts to recruit, train, and retain New Americans for positions in LTC present win-win opportunities and should be expanded.

Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Certified Nursing Assistants in Nursing Homes: How Do They Differ?

“…Recent immigrants and foreign workers are two groups frequently identified as potential sources of new workers in long-term care (Browne & Braun, 2008a, Priester & Reinardy, 2003. Immigrants, arriving to the United States for family reunification or for political or economic reasons, are often willing to occupy positions that native-born Americans are reluctant to take because of low wages, lack of fringe benefits, or difficult working conditions (Priester & Reinardy, 2003).…”

The Long-Term Care Workforce: Overview and Strategies to Adapt Supply to a Growing Demand

“…Registered and licensed nurses with sufficient qualifications, typically 4-year bachelor degree, can apply for skilled-workers and professional visa (EB-3), offered for an indefinite period, but there is a quota of about 40 000 for all professions. They can also apply for temporary student visa (F-1) -but they can engage in LTC work only for twenty hours per week while pursuing their studies (Priester and Reinardy, 2003). Immigration restrictions have been eased for trained nurses to alleviate regional-specific shortages (Hoppe, 2005), but such measures are not available for LTC workers (Browne and Braun, 2008).…”

“…The free-trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, which allows certain occupations to work in the country, do not apply for most long-term care workers (Priester and Reinardy, 2003).…”

Examining differences in nurses' language, accent, and comprehensibility in nursing home settings based on birth origin and country of education

“…11 Although FB/FE nurses working in the U.S. must speak English, only 5e6% of CGFNS applicants 9 identify English as their primary language. Many FB/FE nurses report ongoing communication challenges such as problems with writing and documentation, misunderstanding jargon and slang, 12 and difficulty with conversational English. 13 Heavy accents between nurses from different countries, and even among nurses from the U.S., can also make the communication process challenging.…”