The Importance Of Diversity In Nursing
It’s no secret that diversity in nursing provides greater opportunities to deliver quality care to all patients. The formula is simple: If a nursing workforce reflects a hospital’s demographics, communication improves, and patients feel more at ease. According to the American Nurses Association, diversity awareness is the “acknowledgment and appreciation of the existence of differences in attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and priorities in the health-seeking behaviors of different patient populations. It reflects the nursing profession’s contract with society and our responsibility to act according to a strong code of ethics, which means to be aware of our own attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and priorities in providing care to individual patients, families, communities, and populations.” There are an estimated 3 million nurses currently active in the US, with less than 25 percent racial or ethnic minorities, despite those groups making up 38 percent of the general population. The importance of greater cultural sensitivity within nursing is especially vital when we consider that minority populations are likely to become the majority by 2043, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. These stats are especially startling when we take expert predictions into account that by 2022, there will be more RN jobs in the US than any other profession, with 1.1 million RNs required to prevent a shortage. Such shortages are a result of the US population getting older, increases in life expectancy, and the fact that around one-third of the current nurse workforce is aged 50 or older and therefore entering their last decade in the profession, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. So, as the diversity in the US grows alongside nursing shortages, there’s a greater need than ever for RNs from minority groups to join hospitals and clinics in the coming years. What Is Being Done About It? Although poor minority representation is echoed across nursing schools, where only around 26 percent of students are from an ethnic or vulnerable group, some organizations are working to help with nursing college tuition for students. Things like scholarship programs and grants are making it possible for more minority students to go to nursing colleges, become an RN or attend an RN-to-BSN program, and enter the workforce. Universities and colleges are increasingly making diversity a priority when it comes to recruiting new nursing students. For example, The University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Medicine has made diversity one of its core values, stating: “We are deeply committed to creating the very best and most stimulating educational and professional environment for our students and faculty, and delivering the best health care to our patients.” And it’s not just educational establishments where diversity is a critical component of their mission. Atrium Health, the not-for-profit healthcare system operating North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, is committed to diversity and inclusion, stating: ‘The care we deliver is truly “for all”.’ Additionally, Mission Health, North Carolina’s sixth-largest health system champions its ‘Many Differences, One Mission’ commitment to diversity, inclusion, and health equity. Of course, one of the fastest and most effective methods to enable these health organizations, universities, and colleges to diversify student pools and workforces is to look outside of the US to recruit international talent. Conexus, for example, is partnered with over 200 US healthcare organizations and educational establishments to help them meet their diversity goals. We achieve this through the placement of certified, licensed foreign nurses, and assisting international graduates in making their nursing career aspirations a reality. Conexus In Action Conexus partnered with an Appalachian healthcare system to help them ease the financial burden of hiring travel nurses to fill vacancies. We connected the client with international nursing talent, and they now have 120 nurses working with them directly. One of the biggest benefits of overseas nurses was that it helped the client to diversify their workforce, which is something their multicultural patients responded positively to. Diversity is the combination of different cultures, ideas, and perspectives that brings forth greater collaboration, innovation, and patient care. Now more than ever, international nurses and new nursing graduates are an ideal solution to help diversify the nursing profession and ensure the US is successful in delivering better health for both our current and future demographics. Explore More Find out more about international nurses and other staffing alternatives in our free guide - 'Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment'. Click the image below to download:
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How To Effectively Integrate International Nurses In Your Facility
According to Harvard, there are 3 million immigrants already in the US healthcare system, accounting for 1 in 4 workers in that field. This is, in part, due to US healthcare facilities going global in a quest to secure the right nursing talent to plug staffing gaps, reduce costs, and improve levels of patient care. Whether foreign nurses are used to bolster a current workforce, or as part of a blended approach, alongside travel and per diem nurses, the right planning is essential to ensure successful integration with your existing team and patients. The question is, how do you do this? 1. Select The Right Staffing Partner There are many international nurse staffing agencies to choose from, so you must find the right one to suit your needs. As foreign nurses are employees of the agency, they should receive a certain level of support throughout their assignment at your facility. Be wary of staffing agencies that don’t remain hands-on with their nurses as all support, education, and development needs will fall to you, which is not only unfair but could be impossible if your facility is already stretched. 2. Assess Your Interview Process Even when working with a staffing agency, you still need to interview international nurses before they join you. While this gives you an insight into whether they’ll be the right fit, it’s also their opportunity to decide whether they want to work with you. Remember that word-of-mouth, even about the interview process, can help to increase the number of candidates who want to work with you, as well as boost online reviews, and, ultimately, retention levels. It’s, therefore, crucial to review your interview process to make sure you’re providing the right information, communicating all of your benefits, and allowing nurses to ask any questions they might have. 3. Keep Communicating All too often, employers can lose great candidates due to a lack of communication, which can negatively affect time-to-hire, the timing of orientation, and the candidate’s perception of your organization. One of your main goals should be to make the hiring process seamless and fully transparent for the candidate. There should be immediate and ongoing communication between HR, hiring manager, staffing agency, and candidate, with clear touch points throughout the journey. 4. Tailor Your Orientation/Onboarding Process International nurses require a different approach when it comes to integration into your team. While they may have the same anxieties about starting a new role as US nurses, moving to a new country can compound these fears and require more hands-on support. Traditional concerns include: Not knowing where to go What’s expected of them Who their preceptor will be What to wear Navigating company culture Your onboarding process should proactively address such concerns, and offer the support to help them succeed in their role. Remember, a specialist staffing partner, like Conexus, will help you build and deliver an effective onboarding process, bridging gaps, and providing additional support and guidance before and during a nurse’s assignment with you. What’s The Right Option? If you have questions or concerns about hiring international nurses for your facility or want to find out more about implementing a blended staffing approach, download our free guide - ‘Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment' today. Alternatively, connect with your local Conexus team today to find out more about how we can support your staffing needs. Find out more about international nurses and other staffing alternatives in our free guide - 'Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment'. Click the image below to download:
Expanding Your Nursing Team: When’s The Right Time?
Your nurses are the lifeline of your facility and provide all of the essential care and support your patients need. That’s why it’s integral to maintain the right nurse staffing levels for continuity of care and the smooth running of your facility. The question is, how do you know when it’s time to staff up? And what are the signs that you need to look out for in your team? Reliance On Overtime It’s no secret that excessive overtime takes a mental and physical toll on employees. While the hours need to be covered, and your nurses may be happy to do so, working too many hours can lead to a rise in depression levels and a dip in productivity, not to mention immune system compromises. Per diem nurses can help cover those additional hours as and when you need them to be, ensuring your current workforce remains happy and healthy. Crucially, rested nurses will deliver the highest quality and safest care possible for your patients. Burnout You should be acutely attuned to the productivity and mood of your nursing team at all times to avoid instances of burnout. Nursing is a demanding field, so taking action at the first signs of stress will help minimize medical errors and retain your core staff. If your nurses appear agitated, emotional, negative, or overly tired, it’s time to look at expanding your team to help manage their workload. High Turnover As you know, turnover is costly and means that you lose vital nurses who are familiar with your facility, patient demographics, and case-load. Plus, making frequent hires means added costs, including HR, onboarding, and training, which all need to be repeated regularly. Additionally, high staff turnover can negatively impact HCAHPS scores. If you’re continuously losing nursing staff, there’s likely to be a more significant issue in your organization that needs to be addressed, whether that’s your orientation process, workload, or the benefits provided for your nurses. Upcoming Staffing Gaps & Fresh Demands Usually, you’ll have plenty of warning of any impending gaps in your nurse staffing, whether that’s upcoming maternity leave, seasonal fluctuations such as flu season in the northern states or the influx of “snowbirds” to warmer states in the winter months. Additionally, if your facility is opening a new wing or is scheduled to complete a system conversion, you should have a project timeline stating commencement and target completion dates. To ensure a healthy nurse-to-patient ratio, staff planning is essential at the earliest opportunity to avoid the implications of staff being pulled away from day-to-day operations. What’s The Solution? Travel nurses can be the ideal option if you need immediate staffing assistance. Typically, travel nurse contracts range between 8 and 26 weeks, though the most common contracts last 13 weeks. What’s more, travel nurses are usually highly experienced and require minimal orientation, sometimes just 24-40 hours, compared to a minimum of 4 to 14 weeks for permanent staff. However, hiring nurses on shorter contracts can be more expensive and fail to offer patients continuity of care. It’s for these reasons that some facilities are exploring alternative options, including the recruitment of overseas nurses. Specialized staffing partners, like Conexus, recruit nurses from international markets, which opens up an otherwise inaccessible talent pool. These nurses have a reputation for making an immediate impact through increasing patient satisfaction and lowering costs through the mitigation of staff turnover and a reduction in reliance on temporary contracts. Both international nurses and travel nurses bring a plethora of benefits for US healthcare facilities, which is why an increasing number are starting to embrace a blended approach to staffing, to ensure they’re always staffing to appropriate demand and peaks. Could A Blended Approach Work In Your Facility? Find out more about international nurses and other staffing alternatives in our free guide - 'Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment'. Click the image below to download:
Nurse Staffing Shortages: Is Closing Beds The Right Answer?
For several years, nurse shortages in the US have forced healthcare facilities to make some difficult decisions. Do they collectively pay billions of dollars to recruit and retain nurses, or risk patient safety by closing beds or entire departments to match staffing levels? Some hospitals are offering incentives to attract nursing talent, including higher salaries, retention and signing bonuses, student loan repayment, free housing, and career mentoring, while other facilities with limited nursing resources are making the tactical decision to close beds. What Are The Implications? While closing beds means nurses aren’t stretched beyond capacity, there are significant cost implications. Any fixed costs associated with empty beds, including heat, electric, or ancillary services, exist regardless of whether a bed is filled or empty. In fact, an empty bed costs approximately 70 percent (around $1-1,500 per day per bed) of what the full cost is when a bed is filled. The cost of empty beds is covered through cost-shifting when other patients in the hospital pay more for their care through either private pay or private insurance pay. For example, take a hospital with a 90 percent occupancy rate versus one with a 40 percent occupancy rate: If both are reimbursed for $10,000, the 40 percent occupancy rate hospital is at more of a disadvantage as it would need to use funds to pay for the empty beds. On the other hand, the 90 percent occupancy hospital has revenues from all of its filled beds. Put simply, it’s always better to have a higher occupancy rate due to the increased revenues the beds generate. However, this doesn’t help those hospitals where staffing resources are stretched. What Are The Alternatives? There has been a growing reliance on travel nurses to fill gaps in recent years. Although they provide hospitals with instant access to qualified nurses when required, these contracts are typically only 13-weeks in length, and cost a high hourly rate in comparison to permanent staff. In 2017, the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) reported that the nationwide costs for travel nurses reached $4.8 billion, more than double what was spent three years earlier. On the other hand, some healthcare facilities are going global to recruit international nurses through specialist and reputable staffing agencies. There are 3 million immigrants already in the healthcare system, accounting for 1 in 4 workers in that field, according to Harvard Medical School (2019). International nurses can deliver significant monetary savings in comparison to travel nurses. While agencies that provide travel nurses offer housing stipends, per diem rates, and travel expenses, those that supply foreign nurses charge facilities a flat hourly rate with no extra costs. Additionally, the continuous turnover of travel nurses can have a negative effect on a wider RN team. A 2015 report that analyzed nursing staff turnover found it led to higher levels of absenteeism and lower morale. With international nurses committed to long contracts with facilities, it enables existing nursing teams to build strong bonds with one another, share experiences, and offer support. Working With Conexus Conexus has sourced exceptional nursing talent for US hospitals and long-term care facilities from across the globe since 2010. Our goal is to provide the right expertize at the right time to ensure facilities always meet the high standards in healthcare delivery, without the need to close beds. Find out more about international nurses and other staffing alternatives in our free guide - 'Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment'. Click the image below to download:
Technology In the Staffing Industry: Hindrance Or Help?
ASA-certified staffing professional and Registered Nurse (RN), Cathy Vollmer is Vice President of Operations at international healthcare staffing agency, Conexus Medstaff. Here, Cathy explores the role of technology in today’s staffing industry and questions whether it takes away more than it adds. Ever-changing and advancing technology is undoubtedly great news for the future of staffing in terms of streamlining processes, increasing efficiency, and gathering valuable data. However, in an industry defined by building meaningful connections and partnerships, there’s a concern that such technology ‘disruption’ will undermine the traditional staffing model by shifting the emphasis to speed and costs over quality of service. The staffing industry, in particular, has been highly receptive to technology innovation from the launch of the internet, through to the arrival of job boards and, critically, CRM systems. Today, developments in data analytics, AI, and machine learning continue to transform established staffing processes. One such technological development is automation. Technology platforms are taking over the management of essential but repetitive back-office tasks, enabling staff to focus on more valuable activities like finding candidates and building relationships. Additionally, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving significant advances in the search for talent, helping recruiters to pair strong candidates with the right opportunities. AI has been particularly revolutionary in the staffing industry as a method to eliminate unconscious bias in the application selection process. It can search candidate CVs for keywords related to their skills and experience to generate a shortlist of the right people. One of the most groundbreaking aspects of AI in staffing is its learning capability. So, the more data that AI technology processes, the better it becomes at understanding its actions and, in turn, the better results it generates. This means that the more AI solutions are implemented, the more effective they will become at finding the right people for the right roles. Despite such advancements benefiting the day-to-day operations of businesses, many are concerned that the digitization of staffing could completely eradicate the personal touch, making it harder and even obstructive for candidates to find a role that suits their needs. In other words, a computer program is yet to be invented that can replace the human touch or gauge candidates from a cultural perspective. Conexus, for example, works with international nurses and graduates to help them to find work and start a new life in the US. As a former RN and member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), I can appreciate the importance of regular human interaction and round-the-clock availability for vulnerable candidates who are about to make a life-changing career move. For us, technology is crucial at the beginning of the process to screen candidates who apply from countries across the globe, ensuring they have the right credentials, experience, and qualifications to start the process. Beyond this, technology’s primary role for us is immigration case management and as an added communication tool that complements face-to-face meetings, i.e., Skype, Facetime, online chat tools, etc. To me, this highlights the importance of assessing the value of technology implementation in the staffing industry on a case-by-case basis. The need for automation in the candidate journey will vary depending on the level of human interaction and support that’s required at each stage of the process for both candidates and clients. However, regardless of the level of digital adoption, it’s clear that technology will continue to play a crucial role within talent acquisition for all organizations and staffing businesses long into the future.
in the news
Every December, thousands of international students studying in the US don their caps and gowns to graduate from nursing schools across the country, and this year is no exception. While winter graduations can mean forfeiting sunny outdoor ceremonies, big crowds, and loud cheers, there are two significant benefits for nursing students graduating at this time of the year: Less graduate competition and increased job opportunities. But, Nurses Are Always In Demand, Right? That’s true. In fact, experts predict that by 2022, there will be more RN jobs in the US than any other profession, with 1.1 million RNs required to prevent a shortage. These shortages are a result of the US population getting older, increases in life expectancy, and the fact that around one-third of the current nurse workforce is aged 50 or older and therefore entering their last decade in the profession, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. However, the winter months generate even more employment opportunities than those in a spring graduating class. Why? We know that enormous demands are placed on healthcare facilities over the winter period due to outbreaks of illnesses like the flu and norovirus, accidents resulting from poor weather conditions, and low temperatures affecting those with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Also, the winter means that more hospital beds are taken up by patients who are well enough to be discharged but require a nursing home place or home care, which isn’t available due to the same issues facing the long-term care sector. Such factors mean that hospitals must ensure that they hire enough nurses to cope with the additional care demands at this time. What Are Your Next Steps To Secure Employment? As a student studying on an F1 visa, you’ll be aware that you need an employment authorization document (EAD) to start lawfully working on Optional Practical Training (OPT). With F1 status, you’re authorized up to a total of 12 months of OPT at each educational level; undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate, as long as the work is related to your field of study. However, OPT cannot begin before receipt of the physical EAD card approval notice (Form I-765). You can use this approval notice as evidence of work authorization for up to 30 days while you wait to receive the physical EAD card. What Are The Timelines? You can apply for OPT no sooner than 90 days before graduation/completion of your study program. So, if you’re graduating this month, you should really have done it by now. However, you can apply up to 60 days post-graduation as long as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receive your OPT application BEFORE the end of the 60 days. Do bear in mind that the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) strongly discourages students from applying during these 60 days as it takes an average of 120 days for OPT to be approved. This means that applying late could result in a loss of OPT time, so we always encourage students to plan ahead where possible. The average processing time for OPT is currently three months, but it can be shorter or longer in individual cases, further highlighting the importance of applying well in advance. Is There Help Available? Absolutely. Your university/college ISSS advisor should be able to help you with any applications you need to make. Additionally, there are nurse staffing agencies, like Conexus, who can offer you advice on getting started in your career. Our specialist team is partnered with universities and colleges across the US to help ensure both international nursing and US graduates can take advantage of increased job opportunities at this time of year and secure work post-graduation. While we’re unable to complete applications on your behalf, our experienced team is fully clued up on all aspects of the process. It’s this knowledge that enables us to educate students on all of the latest developments regarding F1, OPT, and EAD. Not Spotted The Conexus Team On Your Campus? Never fear! We’re on-hand to offer help and advice to any international nursing graduate who’s looking to remain living and working in the US this winter and beyond. Contact our team today with any questions or concerns by calling +1 832 406 3040 or emailing info@conexusmedstaff.com.
The Importance Of Diversity In Nursing
It’s no secret that diversity in nursing provides greater opportunities to deliver quality care to all patients. The formula is simple: If a nursing workforce reflects a hospital’s demographics, communication improves, and patients feel more at ease. According to the American Nurses Association, diversity awareness is the “acknowledgment and appreciation of the existence of differences in attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and priorities in the health-seeking behaviors of different patient populations. It reflects the nursing profession’s contract with society and our responsibility to act according to a strong code of ethics, which means to be aware of our own attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and priorities in providing care to individual patients, families, communities, and populations.” There are an estimated 3 million nurses currently active in the US, with less than 25 percent racial or ethnic minorities, despite those groups making up 38 percent of the general population. The importance of greater cultural sensitivity within nursing is especially vital when we consider that minority populations are likely to become the majority by 2043, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. These stats are especially startling when we take expert predictions into account that by 2022, there will be more RN jobs in the US than any other profession, with 1.1 million RNs required to prevent a shortage. Such shortages are a result of the US population getting older, increases in life expectancy, and the fact that around one-third of the current nurse workforce is aged 50 or older and therefore entering their last decade in the profession, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. So, as the diversity in the US grows alongside nursing shortages, there’s a greater need than ever for RNs from minority groups to join hospitals and clinics in the coming years. What Is Being Done About It? Although poor minority representation is echoed across nursing schools, where only around 26 percent of students are from an ethnic or vulnerable group, some organizations are working to help with nursing college tuition for students. Things like scholarship programs and grants are making it possible for more minority students to go to nursing colleges, become an RN or attend an RN-to-BSN program, and enter the workforce. Universities and colleges are increasingly making diversity a priority when it comes to recruiting new nursing students. For example, The University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Medicine has made diversity one of its core values, stating: “We are deeply committed to creating the very best and most stimulating educational and professional environment for our students and faculty, and delivering the best health care to our patients.” And it’s not just educational establishments where diversity is a critical component of their mission. Atrium Health, the not-for-profit healthcare system operating North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, is committed to diversity and inclusion, stating: ‘The care we deliver is truly “for all”.’ Additionally, Mission Health, North Carolina’s sixth-largest health system champions its ‘Many Differences, One Mission’ commitment to diversity, inclusion, and health equity. Of course, one of the fastest and most effective methods to enable these health organizations, universities, and colleges to diversify student pools and workforces is to look outside of the US to recruit international talent. Conexus, for example, is partnered with over 200 US healthcare organizations and educational establishments to help them meet their diversity goals. We achieve this through the placement of certified, licensed foreign nurses, and assisting international graduates in making their nursing career aspirations a reality. Conexus In Action Conexus partnered with an Appalachian healthcare system to help them ease the financial burden of hiring travel nurses to fill vacancies. We connected the client with international nursing talent, and they now have 120 nurses working with them directly. One of the biggest benefits of overseas nurses was that it helped the client to diversify their workforce, which is something their multicultural patients responded positively to. Diversity is the combination of different cultures, ideas, and perspectives that brings forth greater collaboration, innovation, and patient care. Now more than ever, international nurses and new nursing graduates are an ideal solution to help diversify the nursing profession and ensure the US is successful in delivering better health for both our current and future demographics. Explore More Find out more about international nurses and other staffing alternatives in our free guide - 'Alternatives to the traditional 13-week assignment'. Click the image below to download:
Ripped From The Headlines: The Good News Addition!
In this edition, we’re celebrating nurses by bringing you some heart-warming and inspiring good news stories from the US healthcare industry. Reward yourself and the great work you do by grabbing a coffee, putting your feet up, and enjoying these positive press clippings! ANA Enterprise Gears Up For Global 'Year of the Nurse' In 2020 This month, the ANA Enterprise announced its intent to elevate and celebrate the essential, robust contributions of nurses as the world recognizes 2020 as the Year of the Nurse! The ANA Enterprise is the family of organizations composed of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Nurses Foundation. ANA Enterprise will celebrate by engaging with nurses, thought leaders, and consumers in a variety of ways that promote nursing excellence, inclusivity, infuse leadership, and foster innovation. ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN said: "We look forward to working with partner organizations to communicate a contemporary and accurate view of nurses and the critical work they do, as well as challenge boards and other influencers to commit to nursing and nursing leaders in order to improve the nation's health." Here’s to 2020, and the Year of the Nurse! Filipino Fellows Of Elite US Academy Of Nursing Honored In DC A ceremony hosted by the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) and the Philippine Embassy honored the Filipino Fellows of the prestigious American Academy of Nursing, class of 2018 and 2019. The ten outstanding Filipino American nurses are now among the Academy’s approximately 2,400 fellows who are nursing leaders in education, management, practice, and research. Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States of America, Jose Manuel G. Romualdez lauded the Filipino Fellows and all Fil-Am nurses for cultivating a positive image for Filipino immigrant nurses all over the world. He said: “This positive image of Filipino nurses did not materialize overnight. It is a product of many, many years of solid performance and cultivating strong relationships within the healthcare community, and with patients and their families.” Four Nurses Who Have Saved Lives While Off Duty This news story from Becker’s Hospital Review shows just how amazing nurses really are! Thanks to some quick thinking, these nurses saved the lives of people in their communities while off duty. It includes a Durham, N.C.-based nurse who ran out of her house to save an 11-year-old girl from a dog attack, and a Washington nurse who performed life-saving CPR on her neighbor suffering from cardiac arrest. A truly inspiring read! And Finally... Nike Launches Shoes For 'Everyday Heroes' In Nursing Nike announced the launch of a new style of sneaker designed to make those 12-hour shifts a little easier. In a statement, Nike said: “Nurses walk approximately four to five miles and sit for less than an hour during the course of a 12-hour shift. The design for the Air Zoom pulse tackles those challenges with simplicity in mind.” The company learned how to meet the demands of healthcare workers and tested them at the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. What makes them nurse-friendly? To save time, they have elastic straps that make it easy to put on with one hand, they’re easy to clean due to the laceless upper made of synthetic polyurethane-coated material, and the coated toe box protects against spills. They’re set to drop in December, so be ready to grab your pair! Stay tuned to our blog for more editions of Ripped From The Headlines or revisit the archive today.