Recruiting and employing foreign nurse graduates in a large public hospital system

• Published in: Journal of healthcare management 1994-01, Vol.39 (1), p.31
• Main Authors: Pizer, Christine M, Collard, Ann F, Bishop, Christine E, James, Sherline M, Bonaparte, Beverly
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accounting; Case studies; Cost analysis; Costs; Demographics; Expenditures; Foreign students; Hospital systems; Hospitals; Immigration policy; Inner city; Job fairs; Labor market; Noncitizens; Nurses; Nursing; Passports & visas; Professional recruitment; Recruitment; Shortages; Statistical analysis; Studies; Wages & salaries; Workforce planning; World War II
• ISSN: 1096-9012; 1944-7396

Recruiting foreign nurse graduates (FNG) to fill nursing vacancies continues in certain hospitals and certain regions of the US. While there is debate on the merits of recruiting FNGs, little is known about recruiting costs and retention rates of this workforce or of the demographic characteristics of these nurses. The findings of an 18-month study of the recruitment and employment of FNGs by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. are reported. FNGs constitute a dependable and desirable workforce of direct care nurses and are more likely to remain employed than newly hired domestic nurses. In addition, FNGs augment the professional staff in ways that are likely to appeal to nursing administrators. The survey also found that FNGs are willing to work more overtime hours. The relatively high cost of foreign nurse recruitment must be viewed in the context of job retention and alternative recruitment approaches.