What did she say?

One of the proposed solutions to the nursing shortage is to bring foreign nurses to the U.S. to  work in our hospitals. I have worked with several such nurses in the hospital. These nurses have been trained in their home countries, mostly India, but must pass the U.S. tests for nursing to be licensed here. The organization that brings them over assists with their visas and expenses. They often must sign one or two year contracts to ensure that the company's investment is returned, and so are unable to quit if they feel their job is not a good fit.

In my experience, these nurses are well educated and competent. The problem is their communication skills are very poor. Communication is a huge part of what nurses do, especially hospital nurses. We communicate with the patients, the doctors, and with each other to ensure the best care for our patients. These foreign nurses have trouble communicating in our English language. The patients don't understand what they ask, or try to teach them. The doctors often flat out refuse to speak with them on the phone, and are little better in person. Their fellow nurses struggle to understand them, adding needless stress to every one's day. In the end, patient care suffers, as do these poor nurses, who are brought here as our saviors but are actually treated as stepchildren.

This can be a viable short-term option, though it is clearly not the best solution to our nursing shortage. If you do find one of these foreign nurses, be kind. Remember that you need to work extra hard to communicate your needs, and ask for clarification if you don't understand something she says. If you have a complaint then take it to the management and let them know what your specific problem is so that they know what to fix.