Global Nursing Opportunities in a Post-COVID World
Businesses have opened, global travel is slowly returning, and the practice of being safe when outdoors has become standard practice for everyone. These are tell-tale signs that the pandemic is slowly ebbing away. While safety and precautions are still the utmost concern for everyone, one cannot deny that things are definitely looking up.
While we thank nurses for their valuable efforts in keeping the virus at bay, nurses like you know that taking care of the community is an ongoing commitment. With the reopening of the world comes an abundance of global nursing opportunities for you, particularly in the US. So, what are these opportunities up for grabs for nurses everywhere in this new normal called the post-COVID world?
An International Nurse’s Journey to the Us Just Got Fast-Tracked
While physical resources such as hospital rooms and oxygen tanks were scarce during the height of the pandemic, what was noticeably dwindling in number was human resources, specifically in the United States. Notably, in the fourth wave of the virus last December 2021, with the introduction of the Omicron variant, hospitals and healthcare facilities felt the need to hire new nurses more than ever.
Because of the COVID workforce impact that grew since 2020, there has been a significant movement to push for international nurses to have an easier time relocating and working in the US. For example, the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment was among the proponents to petition the State Department to prioritize visas for immigrant nurses.
Such efforts didn’t go to waste. The US healthcare system is about to see an influx of international nurses because there is currently a surprising number of green cards available for foreign professionals. Because the US consulates were not open during the past two years, unused visa application slots got transferred to qualified workers.
While visa wait times can be pretty lengthy, the fact that many visa application slots have been opened means there will be a change in the speed of granting visas to immigrant nurses like you. The wait times for family members of US citizens applying for visas have seen a significant change as per a recent visa bulletin. It won’t be surprising if expediting visas for professionals will be next.
Nursing Is a Job That Pays Well, and It Just Got Better
It’s no secret that working in the US healthcare system has its advantages, and one of which is that nurses like yourself are well-paid. With the growing demand for nurses, hospitals and similar companies are doing their best to keep their current workforce and invite new employees.
Across nursing licensures, there is a significant increase in salaries. In a survey, nurse respondents shared that their salaries had a median of $78,000. This is coming from $73,000 from last 2020. Also, median salaries have increased as well for advanced practice nurses by $13,000, and $3,000 for licensed practical and vocational nurses.
New nurses are also given additional reasons to say yes to their job offers. In another survey, this time involving hospital management figures like chief nursing officers, 67 percent said that they had been keen on giving sign-on bonuses, and 57 percent said they had improved their pay packages. With news of nurses deciding to leave their profession and planning to do so before the end of the year, healthcare companies are doing their best to make nurses stay and attract more of them.
For international nurses like yourself, the prospect of working in the US has always sounded like a great opportunity. However, the decisions of hospitals and similar organizations to give better monetary compensation to those in your line of work make your immigration journey have an even better end goal.
You May Even Choose to Do More Than Just Traditional Nursing
The projected supply-demand and shortages of registered nurses in the US have also brought a shift in the areas of nursing that need focus. Aside from increased salaries and faster visa applications, an international nurse like you can also think of bringing your professional knowledge and skills to other aspects of nursing. If you feel there is a greater call for you as a nurse, then the post-COVID atmosphere in the US may have a new opportunity for you.
Whether it’s traditional nursing you would like to stick with or a new challenge strikes your fancy, a new career as an immigrant nurse awaits you in the US:
- Bedside nurses. These are nurses found in traditional hospital setups and are tasked to care for presently confined patients. If you would like to stick to the usual tasks of patient care, bedside nursing is definitely for you. There is currently a big job search for these nurses to fill in vacancies in hospitals across the US, so you might have an easier time looking for a job in clinics and other healthcare facilities.
- Geriatric nurses. By 2025, 20 percent of the American population is estimated to be 65 years or older. There is an expected increase in the demand for geriatric nurses, and this is something you can consider. For patients enjoying their sunset days, the loving care of a nurse will mean a lot to them.
- School nurses. The reopening of schools in the post-pandemic era means the need for school infirmaries to have resident doctors and nurses again. While the rush might not be as fast as a regular hospital’s ICU, your job is not only to take care of younger patients but also to collaborate with school personnel and parents on the welfare of the students.
- Nurse educators. The vast loss of nurses means there is a need to educate young ones and hone them into nurses who will carry the profession forward into the future. Your knowledge and skills can be used to help aspiring nurses get to know the craft more and even assist them in preparing for licensure exams. A teacher nurse will contribute to alleviating the nursing shortage by joining academia.
- Nurse managers. How about overseeing if nurses get the right treatment in their own workplace? A nurse manager can help reduce attrition rates by taking care of fellow nurses because, as nurses themselves, they know the struggle of the profession. Nurses will also feel more comfortable with the fact that their supervisor is someone who has been in their shoes.
EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF BECOMING A US IMMIGRANT NURSE THROUGH PRS GLOBAL.
Global nursing opportunities are within your reach, and a great way to expedite your process of moving into America and being employed at a healthcare company is to enlist the help of a staffing partner. If you’re looking for an organization that understands your passion, PRS Global is the only staffing partner for you.
PRS Global was created by healthcare professionals like you, so they know your concerns when it comes to the profession you are in. And beyond getting you employed in the US and in assisting you with immigration. We will also take good care of you as you get to know your new job and the country you are in. Through integration programs and in maintaining a community of immigrants like yourself, PRS Global will see to it that you are at your best in your new environment, in and out of the hospital.
No other staffing partner sees global nursing opportunities for you the way PRS Global does. Contact us now.