How International Nurses Strengthen Care Teams and Culture
Culture is built by the people you welcome into your organization. At Fisher-Titus Medical Center, international nurses strengthened what compassionate care looked like for patients, colleagues, and the community. In this video, clinical leaders and nurse Alfons Letrondo share how that happened.
That conversation remains especially relevant for healthcare leaders because staffing pressure is no longer just a vacancy issue. It affects team morale, patient experience, retention, and whether new nurses feel like they truly belong.
Strengthening Compassionate Patient Care
The consistent theme shared in this video is the level of care international nurses bring to their patients.
"They treat all their patients like it's their own family members, and seeing that has really given a boost to our staff." — Stacy Daniel, Director of Clinical Programs, Fisher-Titus Medical Center
That commitment to compassionate care has a ripple effect. When team members see colleagues consistently delivering patient-centered care, it reinforces the standards and values that healthcare organizations work hard to maintain.
Becoming a True Part of the Team
Successful international recruitment is not simply about adding staff to a schedule. It is about helping talented professionals become fully integrated members of the workforce. As Miriam Batke, CHRO at Fisher-Titus, noted, international nurses are an extension of the workforce, part of the team, bringing not just their skills but often their families into the community.
When organizations invest in onboarding, support, and integration, international nurses are positioned to become lasting contributors rather than temporary staffing solutions. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing's 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study found that more than 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022, while nearly 40 percent report plans to leave within the next five years.1 These realities make retention and long-term integration increasingly important for healthcare leaders.
Internationally educated nurses often arrive with years of clinical experience already behind them. That depth matters for patient care and for the nurses around them: experienced colleagues who can answer questions, model good practice, and help newer staff find their footing.
Creating Life-Changing Opportunities
The impact of international recruitment extends beyond the organization. For the nurses who make this journey, it can be genuinely life-changing.
In this video, Alfons reflects on what building a life in the United States has meant: the stability, the family, the sense of having arrived somewhere worth staying. His story is a reminder that when international hiring works well, it works for everyone.
When nurses and their families feel supported in the community, they are more likely to stay, contribute, and become part of the long-term workforce.
Watch the Full Series.
The experiences shared in this video offer a firsthand look at what happens when international recruitment becomes part of a long-term workforce strategy for hospitals, for care teams, and for the nurses who join them.
This video is part of PRS Global's Viewpoint series. Watch the complete series here:
If your organization is thinking about international direct hire as part of a long-term workforce strategy, PRS Global can help you understand what it takes to build a program that supports both nurses and organizations well.
Reference
- “NCSBN Research Highlights Small Steps Toward Nursing Workforce Recovery; Burnout and Staffing Challenges Persist.” NCSBN, 17 Apr. 2025, https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-research-highlights-small-steps-toward-nursing-workforce-recovery-burnout-and-staffing-challenges-persist