Creating a Successful International Nurse Program

International nurses offer a wide range of benefits to U.S. hospitals. These nurses possess a diverse set of skills that enable them to provide high-quality care and fill growing hospital staffing gaps. 

International nurses tend to be highly educated. The vast majority (94%) of international nurses seeking U.S.-based employment are registered nurses, according to research published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

International nurses do not just have high levels of education. The same NIH study found that these nurses also tend to be highly experienced in the field, with more than half of them having more than 11 years of nursing experience.   

Like their domestically trained counterparts, international nurses may also have specialized training or experiences in different specialties, such as critical care, pediatrics, or geriatrics. This can improve the overall quality of patient care and can increase the range of services available. 

When healthcare facilities open their doors to international nurses, they gain access to a broader pool of skilled and experienced professionals. There are, however, a few things healthcare leaders need to know in order to successfully integrate international nurses into an established workforce.

Working with International Nurses

Treat international nurses with respect

Hospital leaders should commit to treating international nurses like core team members. This includes giving them proper onboarding experiences designed to help them feel like valued teammates. When leaders treat all employees  – including international nurses – with an equal amount of care, it creates a more pleasant work culture. That positive environment will have a trickle down effect on patient care.

Give international nurses proper orientations

In order to become familiar with their working environment, international nurses should go through the same orientation process offered to newly graduated nurses. Hospitals should assign core staff members to these nurses as preceptors, The preceptors and international nurses can work together throughout the entire orientation to create a plan for ongoing success.

Depending on the specialty, the unit and the individual nurse, hospitals should expect a proper orientation to take anywhere from 6-12 weeks. 

Get buy-in from organization stakeholders  

Before hiring international nurses, decision makers should ensure that all stakeholders are ready to accept and welcome them onto the team. It is extremely challenging for an international nurse program to be successful without buy-in from all internal team members.  

To make the program a winning situation for everyone involved, hospitals should create a plan to convert these nurses into full-time employees at the end of their contract assignments. This is what makes the program truly successful as a long-term strategic staffing solution. 

Create culturally sensitive hiring processes

Hospital leaders must create culturally sensitive hiring processes in order to foster an inclusive and welcome workplace environment. This includes training hiring managers and internal staff on cultural diversity, unconscious bias, and effective communication strategies. 

Hospitals should also implement standardized hiring procedures that evaluate candidates based on their skills, qualifications, and abilities, rather than subjective criteria. This will help hospitals attract and retain top international nursing talent. 

Include international nurses in career development

Nurses desire to learn, grow, and contribute their skills at a deeper level. International nurses should be proactively offered opportunities to grow clinically and advance in their careers. 

Often, the promise of career advancement is what propels international nurses to come to the U.S. in the first place. Offering clear career advancement that aligns with their professional goals is a powerful tool for employee retention and motivation. 

Creating a Supportive Environment

Creating a supportive environment for international nurses requires a multi-pronged approach. Hospital leaders should exhibit respect, implement standardized hiring practices and offer these nurses career development opportunities. Those are not the only factors that go into creating an ideal work environment, however. 

• Ensure leaders prioritize communication
  Leaders who actively listen to nurses, communicate clearly, and show empathy tend to build trust and support. These leaders encourage open communication and psychological safety, allowing nurses to voice their needs and concerns without fear. Hospitals can also regularly solicit feedback from nurses and keep them informed about retention efforts. 
  
• Practice safe staffing levels
  Failure to maintain reasonable nurse-to-patient ratios leads to a slew of negative outcomes, including nurse burnout and subpar patient care. This impacts everyone, including international nurses.
  
• Include International Nurses in your recognition and appreciation programs
  This goes back to treating international nurses as equals to full-time employees of the organization.
  
• Praise teamwork and collaboration 
  Building a collaborative team environment where nurses feel valued and supported by their peers is important. This fosters a sense of community and shared purpose, reducing burnout and improving job satisfaction.  

Healthcare facilities have hired more international nurses over the past several years. In 2018, foreign-born healthcare workers accounted for 18% of the U.S. healthcare workforce, according to a study published by the Migration Policy Institute. That number increased to more than 30% in some states. 

This growing trend toward hiring international nurses comes with a plethora of benefits for healthcare facilities. It is important for leaders and decision makers to create a welcoming and supportive environment for these nurses in order to fully realize those benefits. 

Reach out to Elite365 to learn more about welcoming international nurses onto your team.