5 Reasons Why You Should Consider International Direct Hire
2024 is flying by if you haven’t noticed.
There are significant challenges and as well positive developments in every industry in the US. The state of US nursing is in a tug of war with workforce challenges, solutions, and the interest of coming up with new strategies to take on the ongoing shortage of nurses and retention instability.
If you haven’t checked it out, Incredible Health came out with an interesting report highlighting both positive developments and challenges in 2024 for health systems and nurses across the US.
We also had the opportunity to take a deep dive into the developments and challenges across the healthcare industry.
Earlier this year we conducted a survey among HR leaders and nurses to address workforce challenges, solutions, and interest in one area PRS specializes and firmly believes in:
International direct hiring (IDH).
In this guide we will go over 5 data backed reasons why hospital leaders should consider adding an IDH solution to their workforce strategy, what it is, and how to overcome barriers around implementing one.
What is an international direct hiring solution?
We can’t speak for other international direct hiring solutions out in the market, but this is what PRS believes an IDH solution and partner should be.
They partner with hospitals and healthcare organizations to find the best nursing talent around, tailored to what they need. They take care of all the legal stuff like visas and green cards, and they partner with the hospital to make sure the new nurses are good to go from day one.
Think about them as the hospital's advisor, giving them best practices to make sure the onboarding process runs smoothly. Plus, they keep the health care organization updated of where the nurse is in the process and is there to welcome the new nurse and situate her or him (and family if applicable) into the community.
The international nurses get paid just like any other nurse at the hospital and commit to sticking around for at least three years. The hospital only must pay one fee for all this service, which generates significant cost savings.
Leading hospitals are learning about adding an international direct-hiring strategy to their workforce plan to solve current and long-term staffing challenges.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dive into 5 reasons why you should consider this strategy now.
Related Reading: How International Direct Hire Can Grow Hospital Systems
1. Addressing the main issue: staffing shortages
Our survey results proved that the nursing shortage is still top of mind for HR leaders and nurses. There is a high interest in having a solution that can help hospitals direct hire International nurses and keep a steady flow of fully qualified nurses who are ready to fill staffing gaps right away.
61% of nurses and 86% of HR leaders have voiced they have considered an IDH program to help with their long-term staffing challenges. Their main concerns of why they have yet to pursue this strategy is the length of time and cost to recruit.
This is where an end-to-end direct hiring solution like PRS can offer tackles to these hurdles.
2. Long-term staffing, stability, and retention
Bringing on qualified nurses is one thing. Retaining them is another.
We see that hospitals want to dive deeper into their long-term staffing strategy. Although an IDH program is part of a long-term work plan, the value that IDH provides is clear: a stable, reliable, and experienced staff resource customized to your needs and requirements to not only help you in the short term, but the long term.
This is important when thinking about building a stable and dedicated nursing team to provide high quality patient care.
3. Support and integration of your nurses
One of the leading concerns we found in our survey was the steps and time involved in an IDH program.
- Recruiting top nursing talent
- Keeping hospitals and nursing leaders informed throughout the process
- Handling all legal, logistical, and certification requirements
- Partnering to prepare and support the full onboarding process
The right IDH program will give end-to-end support, from visa sponsorship and credentialing to relocation and onboarding.
This way, you make sure that when international nurses join your team, they're all set to go and smoothly fit right in, which means less hassle and better care for the patients.
4. Cost-effective solution
When healthcare facilities hire staff directly for long term stability, they can cut down on the expenses linked with temporary staffing and frequent turnover. Bringing in international talent in this way can save a ton and make for a more stable team in the long run.
Working with a partner like PRS gives you financial advantages, ensuring that you reduce and eliminate costs associated with travelers and contract labor. While building a stable workforce, increased staff diversity, and improved patient care.
5. An effective workforce plan
Adding an international direct hires program to your workforce strategy can help you plan better and manage your resources more effectively. You'll have a steady stream of skilled nurses, making sure your team is ready to tackle whatever comes their way.
Our survey showed that while at least 70% of hospitals had a long-term workforce plan in place, around 25% of hospitals did not.
We offer a step-by-step process to help hospitals create a strategic workforce plan to improve all around success for your organization.
How could you benefit from adding an international direct hiring program?
The interesting thing is, the HR leaders and nurses that responded to our survey know the importance and how effective a solution like this could be for their hospital. The data proves that.
Although this process may seem timely and costly, PRS simplifies international direct hiring, designs a customized solution to meet your long-term needs, and can create an immediate impact on your nursing staff – all while driving costs down. Satisfying HR and hospital leaders and the nursing staff.
To learn more about the benefits and impact of international direct hiring check out the full report. Or if you’ve learned enough and are ready to talk, let’s do that instead.