CoxHealth
is experiencing tremendous growth, and in an effort to keep up with the growing
need for health care personnel, the system will soon be hiring even more
nurses. In a special project dedicated to filling these needs, carefully
screened and highly qualified nurses are being recruited from other countries.
Approximately 100 nurses – primarily from the Philippines, where English is an
official language – will come to the health system over the next year. The
first will begin arriving Fall 2016.
“A
nursing shortage is facing the United States, and we at CoxHealth believe we
must try new solutions to fill the gap,” says Karen Kramer, CoxHealth’s Chief
Nursing Officer. “We always want to supply the health care that our community
needs, and feel that bringing nurses to us is a good way of doing that.”
CoxHealth
is still actively recruiting local nurses and health care professionals, and
this practice won’t replace traditional recruitment efforts. “The need for
nurses is only going to continue to grow,” says Kramer. “Supporting that need
through international hires doesn’t solve the problem, but it does allow us to
greater support our patients.”
CoxHealth
isn’t the only system facing a growing demand for nursing professionals, and
other hospitals have been hiring international nurses for years. Because of
this, U.S.-based organizations exist to help source and screen those nurses.
Once screened, each qualified candidate is interviewed by health system
representatives via Skype. Interviews include assessment of clinical skills,
English proficiency and organizational fit.
“We
have been very impressed by the people we have interviewed so far,” says
Kramer. “The U.S. and the Philippines have developed similarly strong standards
for nursing over the past 50 years, so we feel that these individuals will
seamlessly support our organization.”
All
applicants have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and are required to have a
minimum of two years of nursing experience. They must pass the same tests, such
as the national nursing exam known as NCLEX, and have the same certifications
as local nurses. They are also required to pass an English proficiency exam.
Once on-site, all nurses will participate in an extensive educational
orientation program.
Mentoring
will also be an important part of the program. “Our goal is to hire
excellent nurses that will be welcomed to our community, fall in love with
Southwest Missouri and choose to stay long term, “ says Kramer.
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