National Nurses United

C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E N O V V E M B E R 2 0 0 5 19 To provide a credentials evaluation serv- ice for foreign-educated and/or foreign- born healthcare professionals. To serve as a clearinghouse for infor- mation on international nursing educa- tion and licensure. To conduct and publish studies relevant to foreign-educated nurses. In May 2005, CGFNS and the Interna- tional Council of Nursing (ICN) launched a new International Centre on Nurse Migra- tion, and issued the following press release: TAIPEI, TAIWAN—May 24, 2005: The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and the In- ternational Council of Nurses (ICN) today launched a much needed, new global resource, the International Centre on Nurse Migration. The an- nouncement was made at the close of the ICN International Summit on Nursing WorkForce, held in Taipei, Taiwan. The Centre is an internation- al resource for the development, pro- motion and dissemination of research, policy and information on nurse mi- gration. A priority of the Centre will be to address gaps in policy, research and information with regard to the mi- grant nurse workforce, including screening and workforce integration. The Centre's website, www.intl- nursemigration.org, will act as a por- tal for policy, research studies and other information regarding migration trends and statistics. According to CGFNS: "There is a critical need for global organizations involved with migrating nurse profes- sionals to collaborate and share knowledge. This protects the interests of both the global nurse workforce and the patient communities they serve worldwide. We are pleased to be working with ICN in this endeavor." ICN stated: "The migration of nurs- es is greatly increasing as our world grows more tightly connected and changes every day. As professionals in a globalized world, we have a tremen- dous opportunity to share resources and affect positive change in how healthcare is administered and staffed around the world. We consider the Centre an important asset in under- standing and acting on the needs of mi- grating nurses, employers and policy makers throughout the global com- munity and see CGFNS as an ideal partner." About CGFNS: CGFNS is an internationally-recog- nized authority on credentials evalu- ation pertaining to the education, registration and licensure of nurses and healthcare professionals world- wide. CGFNS is an immigration-neu- tral, nonprofit organization with nearly 30 years of experience in cer- tifying the credentials of over 500,000 internationally educated nurses and other healthcare workers. In addition to co-sponsoring the International Centre on Nurse Migration, CGFNS is developing an International Institute on Health Professions, which will comprise the International Centre on Nurse Migration and other similar centres. About ICN: The International Council of Nurses is a federation of national nurses' asso- ciations (NNAs), representing regula- tory bodies, professional associations and nursing unions in more than 125 countries. Founded in 1899, ICN is the world's first and widest-reaching in- ternational organization for health professionals and works to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, and the ad- vancement of nursing knowledge. ICN speaks for more than 12 million nurs- es on issues related to safe patient care and encompassing ethics, regulation, professional practice and socio-eco- nomic welfare. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) In 2002 NCSBN started to study the effect of nurses educated outside the United States on U.S. nursing regulation. In Au- gust 2005 the International Nurse Issues Subcommittee issued its first findings. Two separate surveys to employers were conducted. Initially, a survey to a random sample of 400 hospitals in the United States was done with a return of 94 (23.5 percent). The results of this survey revealed that few of the hospital employers that completed the survey were recruiting international nurses. Those hospitals that were recruit- ing foreign nurses were only recruiting small numbers, sometimes only one or two nurses at a time. When asked about the challenges of hiring an international nurse, employers most frequently cited difficul- ties in meeting the standards of the immi- gration process. Other challenges noted were language barriers, cultural differ- ences, differences in competencies, setting up living arrangements, and lack of re- cruitment dollars. As the response rates were very small, the results may not be representative of the entire population of international nurse employers. Other findings of the employers' survey were: (1) Federal reg- ulations are perceived to be major barri- ers for the immigration of international nurses due to the complexity of the process, the length of time of the process, and the frequent changes occurring in the process and (2) It appears that hospitals bear the brunt of the assimilation and transitioning of international nurses. Factors Influencing the Assimilation and Transition of the International Nurse Based on the review of available resources and surveys, the Subcommittee identified factors that could influence the ease with which international nurses assimilated and transitioned into the U.S. workforce. They noted that three other transition groups: U.S. new graduate nurses, reentry U.S. nurses, and new employees, were very similar to the international nurses in terms of the factors influencing assimila- tion and transition. These factors were: International nurses may work in a ca- pacity other than nursing (e.g., ward clerk, nurse aide) prior to licensure. Some em- ployers will hire international nurses who have not yet obtained U.S. licensure as un- licensed health care personnel. This will allow international nurses a chance to be- come comfortable with the healthcare en- vironment and facilitate the assimilation process. Many changes in the immigration sys- tem, such as revisions in visa status and new requirements, are challenging to in- ternational nurses who are attempting to complete the immigration process. If an international nurse's native lan- guage is English, the transition into the U.S. healthcare system is much easier. The ma- jority of survey respondents and assimila- tion/transition articles referred to the language barrier as a major hindrance to the assimilation of international nurses. If the international nurses have a social support group, the transition is easier. Sev- eral journal articles described success sto- ries regarding the use of support groups for international nurses. With the support of their peers, they are more easily able to transition into the U.S. healthcare system. The ease of assimilation/transition can

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