2001 Resolution - 006

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SUBJECT: Utilization of Foreign Nurses
Introduced by: UAN Executive Council

WHEREAS, the U.S. health care industry has failed to maintain a work environment that is conducive to safe, quality nursing practice; that retains experienced U.S. nurses within patient care; that encourages nursing as a respected, well-compensated profession, and

WHEREAS, the current staffing shortage is caused by restructuring and cost-cutting practices by the health care industry and administrators, and

WHEREAS, there is strong evidence that documents a growing and critical global shortage of nurses; and

WHEREAS, the practice of changing immigration law to facilitate the use of foreign educated nurses serves only the interests of the hospital industry, not the interests of patients in other countries, U.S. nurses or foreign educated nurses; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. health care industry is expending large amounts of money to U.S. recruitment firms to import foreign educated nurses (thus taking a valuable human resource from another country); and

WHEREAS, there are often inadequate support and in-service programs that take into account cultural differences and potential language concerns thereby failing to adequately orient the foreign educated nurse to the hospital and/or health care system, and

WHEREAS, there are approximately 500,000 registered nurses in the U.S. with licenses that are not employed in nursing,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the UAN challenge health care employers to place a higher priority on retaining and attracting nurses within the U.S. before soliciting the import of foreign nurses, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UAN strongly urge healthcare employers to accomplish such goals by, creating work and care environments that respect the registered nurse; by providing him or her with a voice in decision-making; by providing a competitive compensation package; by supporting nursing educational scholarships for recruitment into the profession and appropriate time off and monetary support for employees to pursue educational advancement within the profession as a retention strategy and by creating mechanisms to ensure a safe and healthy work environment and which support quality patient care, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UAN and ANA work in concert with the ICN and the ICN Workforce Forum to address this critical problem.

Date of Resolution: May 24, 2001