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Conexus MedStaff: The right choice
For America’s healthcare providers and top worldwide nursing talent, Conexus MedStaff is the definitive choice as a partner and one of the best international nursing recruitment agencies in the U.S. We hire the best nurses in the most cost-effective way. Our influential industry experts supply, support and cultivate capable and quality nursing talent that healthcare organizations retain.
Start Your American Adventure
Nurses: Get US Ready!
Support from a recruiter should go beyond the placement. With Conexus, it does.
We’ve engineered an educational training program that benefits the careers of our nursing candidates and the clients for which they work. From initial training program, continuous professional development during the assignment, and career advancement options following an initial assignment, we stridently advocate keeping our nurses up to date with best practice nursing in the U.S. that leads to best practice care delivery for patients.
Designed and delivered by our in-house clinical nurse educators, our International Nurse Professional Pathway (INPP) program is our customized training program for our nursing candidates. The educational U.S. nursing program offers full access to training, preparatory classes, and access to unlimited accredited continuing education resources - all for free to our Conexus nurses.
But it’s only available to candidates who register and earn placement with us. Sign up today.
DOWNLOADS AND RESOURCES
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GUIDE: Delivering Talent
Our official guide to delivering international healthcare talent in the U.S. gives you everything you need to maximize your staffing needs.
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GUIDE: Nursing Job Interviews
The Conexus Medstaff Complete Guide to Nursing Interviews is the ultmiate compendium of tips to get started.
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GUIDE: The NCLEX-RN Exam
Our official guide to the NCLEX-RN exam helps you take the next step in your toward a rewarding career as an RN in the USA.
Latest blogs
History in the Making: How Naturalized Immigrants make up 1 in 10 U.S. Voters
The 2020 U.S. election is a week away and a record-shattering turnout is expected to vote. With more than 58 million Americans already submitted their ballots, it is clear to see that people are determined to express themselves and exercise their right to vote. Another record high in the 2020 U.S. election is the number of Naturalized Citizens eligible to vote. In this election, Naturalized Citizens make up 1 in 10 U.S. eligible voters. According to Pew Research Center, since the year 2000, the size of the immigrant electorate nearly doubled to 23.2 million, that’s an increase of 193%. So why has there been such strong growth in the foreign-born eligible voter population in the U.S.? First, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has increased steadily since the 1960s when the Immigration and Nationality Act became law. In 1965, in the U.S., 9.6 million immigrants made up just 5% of the population. Fast-forward to 2020 and the 45 million immigrants living and working in the U.S. now accounts for about 13.9% of the population. Second, newly-naturalized citizens are one of the fastest-growing voting groups in the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security states that between 2009 and 2019, around 7.2 million immigrants naturalized and became U.S. citizens. What is Naturalization? Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a lawful permanent resident after meeting the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Becoming a U.S. citizen has many benefits, with one of the most notable being that as a U.S. citizen, you will be able to exercise your right to vote and have your voice be counted– something so many people around the world don’t have the opportunity to do. The Pathway to Naturalization As part of the Conexus MedStaff Career Pathways program, we offer our nurses support to become an American citizen. Career Pathways not only focuses on the continued growth of a nursing career in the U.S., it also allows the option and support to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. If they choose to pursue citizenship, our Immigration Team processes Naturalization applications for our nurses and their family members to become U.S. citizens -- an average expense of anywhere from $3,000 - $5,000 per person. To learn more about our Career Pathways program, and your pathway to naturalization, get in touch with our Recruitment team here
If Left Untreated: The Fallout of Nurse Fatigue and Burnout
It seems like only yesterday we were raising the flag on the importance of our nurses and their impact on quality outcomes and patient care always, but particularly in the midst of a global pandemic. But our universal fatigue of COVID-19 has quieted the excitement and the accolades for the unsung nursing heroes who continue to take care of patients as they always have. And to add insult to injury, in the midst of this situation, we continue to experience a shortage of healthcare professionals. The pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint. We cannot let our fatigue get in the way of appreciating and supporting nurses during this difficult time. Nurses are known for being “caregivers” vs “care receivers", always thinking of the patient. Now, nurses are caring for patients who are sicker, one right after the next, requiring care that is more intensive. Yet we are seeing the nurse also expected to care for a higher patient load and acuity. Nurses are working longer and harder hours, and then being asked to work additional shifts to cover shortages. What is this doing to our nurses – both short-term and long-term? “Nurse burnout is a physical, mental, and emotional state caused by chronic overwork and a sustained lack of job fulfillment and support. Common burnout symptoms may include physical or emotional exhaustion, job-related cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. Rather than improving on its own, untreated burnout may lead to clinical depression, as unaddressed symptoms compound over time” (as defined by Nurse.org) We cannot give up on the support that we provide to our valued healthcare workers. We need to provide resources and relief now. We need to continue to acknowledge their tremendous value to our healthcare system. This should be through words, education, resources, support, and good deeds. Words of gratitude and acknowledgment go a long way. Education can be provided through resources on wellbeing and mental health, mobile apps, or even YouTube. Recently, Conexus MedStaff provided webinars to our nurses presented by a Clinical Educator on identifying nurse fatigue/burnout and ways to care for themselves. Additionally, we provided education for our managers who support our nurses. Support can be providing an ear when the nurse has had a particularly hard day, or they have questions on how to communicate the need for additional support in their healthcare facility. Finally, remember hearing about all the good deeds that communities, businesses, and whole cities were providing to our healthcare heroes when COVID first struck? Don’t stop! Let’s pick up where we left off -fight the fatigue and give energy back to our frontline heroes! We have come so far in shining the light on healthcare workers and their value and their impact and their importance to all of us. Let’s not let our fatigue get in the way of the accolades and support they deserve. Our Mission at Conexus is to focus on the wellbeing of people and communities by supporting talented and dedicated nurses by training and listening to them along the way. We believe in investing in our people to fuel their growth and putting their wellbeing first and foremost. Take a look at the values that drive our days and the way we work here. Sources https://nurse.org/articles/nurse-burnout-statistics/
The Visa Bulletin for Nurses: Your Place in the Line
With the October 2020 Visa Bulletin for the new fiscal year set to be issued in the coming weeks, we thought it would be a good time to recap what the Visa Bulletin actually is, how it works, and why it’s important for international nurses and international nursing students in the U.S. to understand how it can influence your nursing career in the U.S. The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by USCIS and the Department of State to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit to work and live in the U.S. Essentially the priority date, released in the Visa Bulletin, establishes your place in the line to immigrate to the U.S. or to continue working in the U.S. as a permanent U.S. resident. For the September 2020 Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for the EB-3 visa showed no movement. Our Conexus Immigration team attributes no movement largely to the impact of COVID-19. As soon as the new Visa Bulletin is released, we will let you know here. You will also be able to find the latest update over on our Facebook and LinkedIn. What to do next? If you are ready to start your nursing career in the U.S. but don’t know what to do first, our advice would be to do some of your own research and find an agency that is not only currently filing visas for qualified international nurses, but an agency that will hire and match you to a healthcare facility that compliments your skills and career aspirations, like Conexus MedStaff.
Where Have All the Certified Nursing Assistants Gone?
Where has the ancillary support for our healthcare facilities gone? Ancillary support includes the critical position of Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs. These positions are vital to our staffing models, partnering with Registered Nurses to take on certain ratios or acuity of patients. Nurses rely on CNAs to support their work efforts and to support quality patient care and customer service to the patient and their families. Where did they go? Healthcare personnel makes up one of the largest groups of skilled workers. During this time of COVID, CNAs who are innately caretakers may be taking care of their families. Or, they may be cautious in potentially exposing their significant others to COVID. And another consideration may be unemployment payments available to them could potentially be more than what they were making in a care facility, working intense and laborious hours. Now, with schools resuming across the country, many CNAs may need to be home supporting their child(ren) during this time. What will the impact be on nursing? Healthcare facilities across the U.S. are scrambling to recruit critical CNA personnel to their facilities. This is adding to the heavy burden placed on Registered Nurses in a COVID world. Now, they have to manage higher patient loads, higher acuity, and longer days without support staff. This inevitably will contribute to the already high burnout rate of the Registered Nurse. What can we do? Acuity is higher, ratios that were considered pre-COVID, should not be maintained now. Additionally, the patients and their families need more emotional support or discharge care, which the nurse needs to be afforded time to properly do. Considerations by healthcare organizations should include training new staff to become CNAs, flexible hours for CNAs to allow the ability to care for family or to work with child(ren) for schooling. Healthcare facilities should also consider paying the CNA a higher wage. Another consideration could be to partner with nursing schools and offer work to the students on a per diem type basis. Or a healthcare facility can staff up with additional Registered Nurses. If we do not act, we will face an even greater shortage of nurses. Nurses will not stay in nursing and new nurses will not enter the workforce if we do not support our nurses. And all the strides that have been made in the last years will be reversed. Regardless of the support and recognition given to our frontline workers – “Heroes” will be for naught. Further reading https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Some-employers-desperate-to-hire-in-wake-of-COVID-19-569135211.html https://www.npr.org/2020/06/20/881285807/why-some-cnas-are-staying-home-during-the-pandemic https://www.npr.org/2020/06/21/880945464/nursing-homes-struggle-as-staff-choose-unemployment-checks-over-paychecks At Conexus MedStaff our values and mission drive our days and the way we work, we do what we do for the talented international nurses and international nursing graduates we support, and the healthcare facilities we partner with in the U.S. to help solve the nursing shortage. Learn more about our vision here
in the news
Like many international nursing students, Karina was worried about her future as a nurse in the U.S. after graduating. Karina, from Venezuala, had been looking for a job on her OPT but with very little success, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It wasn't until her Uncle sent her a job posting by Conexus MedStaff, that things started to look up. Karina, now working in Iowa, U.S., shares her journey with Conexus so far: "After looking for a job for months during the pandemic with no success, I was lucky enough to have my uncle send me the link of a job posting by Conexus. I did not hesitate and applied right away. I am so glad I did! I was reluctant at first because it all seemed just too good to be true but it turned out that it is 100% true. They are all so supportive and ready to help. I did not feel along, they are with you every step of the way. The deployment process was so much easier with the help of my operations manager (OM) Kristin. I was overwhelmed, scared, and nervous to start this new life and career; so having her there and the entire Conexus team, made all the difference. To be honest, I am actually glad nothing else worked out because I wouldn't want to start my nursing career any other way." If you're an International nursing student on your F1 or OPT and want to start your nursing career in the U.S., get in touch.
The Registered Nurse: The most trusted and celebrated profession
The results of this year’s Gallup poll show that nurses are the most honest and trusted profession in the U.S., marking the 18th year in a row that the nursing profession has topped this list. To many, this comes as no surprise. Nursing in the U.S is not only one of the most trusted professions, but it is now also one of the most celebrated professions too. What we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic is that the nursing profession in the U.S. is being celebrated and respected more than ever. From neighborhoods around the U.S clapping at doorsteps to show their gratitude and appreciation for nurses to U.S. companies offering free PPE and a variety of discounts to health care workers; U.S. nurses are recognized as safety-critical, highly-qualified and compassionate practitioners at the forefront of healthcare in the U.S. At Conexus MedStaff we know nurses are frequently the first and highest-level providers for primary care. The reality is that nurses have always been our heroes; our expert professionals who provide skilled, compassionate care. As the pandemic moves through the different phases of a crisis and eventually ends, we will continue to support and celebrate our international nurses and graduate nurses, by focusing on their well-being and fueling their career growth in the U.S. In times like these, when an estimated 1 in 10 U.S. nurses is from overseas, we recognize the many contributions international nurses have made in filling the workplace shortages in the U.S. and improving the nation’s health. If you are looking for a life-changing nursing career opportunity in the U.S., fill in the form below: Form ID:2713
COVID-19 Story: I am a Second Liner
This fight against COVID-19 hits closer to the heart for us as medical professionals. My friend in the Philippines has been in the hospital for 3 months now. He is an ICU nurse and followed all protocols to ensure his safety, including using PPE and frequent handwashing. He got so sick that at one point, he was almost intubated, but he fought back because he still wanted to see his family. He is better now but still confined, having tested positive on two different tests. This fight against COVID-19 hits a lot closer to the heart for us at Conexus, because we have nurses in different countries. We cheered with them when they were told about their employment abroad, happy that we can give them opportunities to help their families in the Philippines or even bring their family to their new home abroad. While we all knew nursing is hard work, we were all surprised by the intensity of COVID 19 and the grIt it requires from us. A friend abroad shares her story of 12-hour work shifts wearing hot and uncomfortable PPE, missing meals, and even foregoing restroom breaks. For us, those numbers on how many have tested positive, how many fatalities, how many recoveries are not only statistics. For some of us, these numbers had faces of people we have worked with, went to school with, or even faces of our family. Such is the sad story behind those numbers. Sadly still, the battle is not just physical. COVID-19 brings mental and emotional challenges, too. The work environment is stressful and tiring. Seeing the severity of the disease and death on a daily basis creates fear, especially when these deaths are people we work alongside. A friend abroad developed mild symptoms and was put on home quarantine. After 14 days, with no more symptoms, she went back to work. But on that first day of work, she could only stay for an hour. She developed a numbing fear that she did not want to touch anything, did not want to talk with any patients or even with other nurses. Then again, there is the social battle when our frontliners are being discriminated against. I have heard stories where they were asked to leave their dormitories, another was told to find a different apartment. Some are not allowed on buses or public transportation because they say these nurses have the virus. Others still are not allowed inside restaurants – this was before the lockdown disallowed dine-ins. What can we do to help these frontliners? They are nurses like us, working hard to provide for their families, working hard to stay true to their oath. We can be their support system; we can be the second-liners who have their back. We pray for them, keep in touch with them to monitor their health and well-being. Where there is a lack of PPE, we help the campaign to get sponsors and suppliers. COVID-19 has brought out both the bad and the good. While some discriminate, there are also the brave at heart who generously give. In the Philippines, communities rose to the challenge and rallied behind the frontliners. Many donated PPE, gave free meals, free rides, and some, even offered their hotels, pensions houses, and apartments for free lodging. If we cannot be on the frontline, let us do our best to be the backbone behind those who are fighting the battle with their heart and soul, risking their lives for us. In showing our concern, our appreciation, our prayers, we empower them to fight on with all the hope that together, we can win this battle. To all our Conexus nurses, we truly appreciate your hard work and we have got your back! We are currently hiring international RN's to join our team of talented nurses in the U.S.