International nurse hiring is a long-term workforce strategy, not a short-term fix. Once your hospital commits to an international nurse hiring program, momentum builds quickly. Leadership aligns, budgets are approved, and clinical teams begin preparing. Then the waiting period begins. Visa processing, licensing, and relocation timelines often extend 18–30 months. Without clear ownership and staged actions, preparation work slows, engagement fades, and readiness erodes. The waiting period does not have to be idle time.
International nurse hiring is no longer a niche strategy. According to research, 32 percent of US hospitals reported hiring foreign-educated nurses in 2022, nearly double the share in 2010.¹ Long timelines are now standard across the industry. The waiting period does not have to be idle time. With the right structure, it becomes a strategic phase that protects alignment and improves outcomes.
So what do you do while you wait?
Extended timelines do not cause problems on their own. Unstructured timelines do. As months pass in international nurse hiring programs, priorities shift, leadership roles change, and committees meet less often. Without clear ownership, preparation work becomes informal and inconsistent.
Research from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that only 29 percent of new hires feel fully prepared by their onboarding experience.2 When preparation is reactive, readiness gaps appear quickly. Breaking the waiting period into stages creates momentum and accountability.
This stage begins when your organization commits to international nurse hiring. The focus is internal clarity around target units, expected volumes, and leadership ownership across HR, TA, and nursing. Define communication cadence now. A quarterly steering committee briefing paired with monthly email updates to unit managers creates predictable touchpoints that sustain engagement. Setting expectations early prevents confusion later.
As visa and licensing processes move forward, your internal work should deepen. Use this time to map the first 90 days of orientation, secure preceptor commitments with protected time built into schedules and validate that clinical education materials align with your hospital's protocols. Organizations with defined onboarding processes see up to 58% higher retention and 50% higher productivity.2 This preparation protects the quality of your international nurse hiring program when nurses arrive.
As timelines become clearer, confirm that assumptions still hold. Unit staffing, preceptor availability, and orientation capacity should be reviewed and adjusted as needed. Readiness checks at this stage allow for calm course correction. Focus on preceptor assignments and training status, orientation schedules and capacity, unit-specific clinical education needs, and housing and arrival logistics coordination. When teams are prepared, new nurses enter environments that are organized and supportive.
Silence during long timelines creates uncertainty. Consistent, structured communication builds confidence and reinforces progress, even when there are no major updates.
As part of its international nurse programs, PRS facilitates monthly virtual nurse connections (often referred to as town halls or nurse connects). These sessions create a regular touchpoint between hospital team members and incoming nurses to answer questions, share updates about the hospital and community, and maintain momentum throughout the immigration process. The goal is to build connection and a sense of belonging well before arrival.
In parallel, regular progress summaries help TA, HR, and CNO leaders understand what is complete, what is in progress, and what comes next. Monthly updates may include visa processing status, preceptor training progress, and upcoming milestones for the next 60 days.
This level of transparency reduces skepticism and sustains leadership support. Standardized communication templates for quarterly steering committee briefings, monthly stakeholder updates, and unit-level readiness check-ins help maintain consistency and ensure no critical step is overlooked.
Checklists turn preparation into a repeatable process. Rather than relying on memory or informal updates, readiness becomes measurable. Effective readiness checklists focus on preceptor assignments and training status, orientation schedules and capacity, unit-specific clinical education needs, and housing and arrival logistics coordination.
Long timelines are part of international nurse hiring. The most successful programs treat them as phases that require steady stewardship. When teams understand that progress continues even during waiting periods, confidence improves. Preparation becomes proactive, and alignment is maintained across stakeholders.
PRS Global supports hospitals through every phase of international nurse hiring, including the extended waiting period. Rather than leaving teams to manage uncertainty alone, PRS Global provides milestone-based guidance, readiness frameworks, and structured communication support that help hospitals stay prepared from commitment through arrival.
International nurse hiring is a strategic investment. Protecting that investment during the wait is what drives long-term success. PRS Global helps you maintain momentum, alignment, and readiness throughout your international nurse hiring timeline. Contact PRS Global today.
1. Pillai, Drishti, et al. "The Growing Role of Foreign-Educated Nurses in U.S. Hospitals and Implications of Visa Restrictions." KFF, 10 July 2024, https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/the-growing-role-of-foreign-educated-nurses-in-u-s-hospitals-and-implications-of-visa-restrictions/
2. Employee Onboarding Guide: Onboarding Definition & Overview." SHRM, https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/topics/onboarding. Accessed 16 January 2026