Becker's Hospital Review: Why Foreign-Trained Nurses Can Help Solve the US Nursing Shortage

Despite having the largest nursing workforce in the world, the United States is still enduring a nursing shortage. A recent Georgetown University study projects 1.6 million job openings for nurses through 2020.

By then, the same study projects the nursing workforce will face a shortfall of some 193,000 nurses. While many healthcare facilities have responded to the shortage by partnering with nursing schools and offering hefty sign-on and retention bonuses, the reality is there aren't enough qualified nurses to meet demand. This leads to more nurses working overtime, which is expensive and dangerous according to the American Nurse Association. Inadequate staffing also leads to nurse fatigue, a big contributor to an alarming 57 percent new-nurse turnover, and a contributing factor in poor patient outcomes. It's a vicious cycle. That's why foreign-trained nurses are becoming an increasingly popular staffing solution. To read the rest of the article in its entirety: click here