Are you ready to pack your bags and take on a career journey across the globe? With the need for nurses worldwide, particularly in the US, there is great demand for your particular skills and knowledge as a healthcare professional especially when we are just coming out of a pandemic.
With the Great Resignation and the increased need for inclusivity in the workplace, certain criteria for global nurses like you have shifted. If you are indeed ready to explore new horizons as a global nurse, let’s take a look at qualities recruiters look for in a global nurse. Take this time to evaluate what makes you a proficient nurse in the eyes of companies out there, and which qualities you may need to still work on.
Related reading: 2023 Career Outlook for Registered Nurses in the United States
Mastery of the English language is needed if you are aiming to pursue a nursing career in the United States. This is why before becoming a full-pledged registered global nurse, you have to get proof of English proficiency. However, many international destinations for nurses are opting for nurses who know more than one language aside from English.
Bilingual or multilingual nurses can perform well for various reasons included but not limited to breaking language barriers and increasing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. This contributes a lot to the relationships healthcare professionals need to build with their patients1, and nurses who speak different languages are well-equipped to do this.
While reviewing for tests like the TOEFL and IELTS will help you hone your English communication skills, consider using language learning apps2 to learn an additional language, or touch up on a language you spoke before. Apps like Duolingo and Babbel are helpful in building familiarization through basic phrases, which can be enough when dealing non-English speaking patients.
Related reading: Why Focus On Diversity: A Global Nurse Pipeline Leads to Less Turnover and Improved Patient Safety
There is a long list of basic medical equipment every nurse has to know how to operate, such as defibrillator, vital signs monitors, and ECG monitors. Then there is specialized equipment such as dialysis machines and CT scanners that would need additional training. In some states, such equipment has to be operated with a license, like MRI machines.
In spite of this, knowing how to operate these machines puts you at an advantage as a global nurse. Nurse recruiters will see your additional competencies as valuable to the healthcare workforce and get you that job you want.
While you prepare to move forward in your career as a nurse, explore which advanced medical equipment you’d like to master. A good way to narrow this down is to figure out a specialization you’d like to focus. For example, you can go into Neonatal care as there is a long list of medical equipment needed3 that you can study if you wish to work in this area.
Even if you are still in the process of licensure or training, hospitals will appreciate this passion to go beyond basic medical equipment. If there is any sort of equipment that you think you can handle, research on requirements and procedures on how to learn this equipment and if there are requirements for certifications or licensures.
For example, to gain a certification in becoming a dialysis nurse, you need additional studies and hours working with dialysis patients, before taking the certification exam. You can also take a look at online courses so you can study such equipment without having to go an actual school, like this online course5 for prospective MRI operators.
There are a lot of aspects that need to be monitored when it comes to compliance. The American College of Healthcare Executives identified various common issues for hospitals across the country, such as government mandates, patient safety and quality, and financial challenges.3 These are just 3 aspects of patient care that need to be monitored, and an extra hand in doing so will be greatly appreciated.
It’s part of a nurse’s job to provide service that upholds strict compliance to health and safety rules. Nurses also have a responsibility to uphold quality in their service as they represent the healthcare facility they are in.
However, nurses can take their responsibility up a notch by helping out in quality assurance efforts, such as through proper documentation and collecting of feedback. Hospitals need nurses with a strict eye when it comes to information collection to make sure they stay compliant and not receive penalties.
You can become a quality assurance nurse.4 Aside from evaluating equipment for over or under-utilization, they also provide training to fellow nurses in making sure they adhere to hospital and government standards in providing care. While becoming a QA nurse may take time, expressing interest at the beginning of your career puts you in a good position to be hired right away.
Related reading: 6 Best Jobs for Seasoned Nurses in 2023
Leadership in the context of nursing may mean two things. The first one is willingness to take on leadership roles. It’s recommended that nurses like you have a definitely career plan of how you wish your career will progress.
Some may be happy with being a travel nurse and explore where else their talents as a nurse can be of great use, or perhaps look at specializations they’d want to master. But in currently fierce competition between hospitals and other healthcare companies, managers or team leaders are needed to lead the workforce.
The second version of leadership is taking charge and acting without prompts. Events in a hospital happen fast, as everyone is after the care and preservation of human life. Nurses who can act fast and think of solutions without relying on their leaders are valuable members of the community.
They are exemplars of valuing human life because their care and their concern quickly translate into action, and nurse recruiters love that. Leadership is not something you can get through additional studies or by being in the field for a number of years. It can be a natural trait you have, as long as you stay to your pledge as a nurse.
Rounding up these qualities recruiters look for can seem tedious at first but all you need is to take initiatives towards achieving these goals. Caring for patients despite language barriers, providing quality service, learning machinery, and being a leader: you can have these as advantages in your job search if you have passion for the nursing profession. Nurse recruiters will spot these attributes of yours right away, and hopefully that job will be yours soon.
Nurses in the United States are in-demand right now, and you can be part of them through a staffing partner that values your contribution to the healthcare community. We are PRS Global, and we are excited to help you get the job of your dreams as an international nurse. Look no further, because we provide recruitment assistance like no other.
We have care programs to help you adjust to a new living and working environment, and we also provide assistance with legal and licensure matters. It is also our goal to place you in the correct job vacancy and healthcare company that will best nurture your career growth.
Let’s find the best job for the great global nurse that you are. Contact PRS Global today.
1 St. George’s University. “The Importance of Diversity in Health Care: Medical Professionals Weigh In.” https://www.sgu.edu/blog/medical/pros-discuss-the-importance-of-diversity-in-health-care/. Published last August 19, 2021. Accessed last January 28, 2023.
2 Brown, Shelby. “Best Language Learning Apps for 2023.” CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-language-learning-apps/. Published last January 9, 2023. Accessed last February 6, 2023.
3 American College of Healthcare Executives. “Top Issues Confronting Hospitals in 2021.” https://www.ache.org/learning-center/research/about-the-field/top-issues-confronting-hospitals/top-issues-confronting-hospitals-in-2021. Published last February 2, 2022. Accessed last January 28, 2023.
4 Eisenhower Health. “Quality Assurance Nurse Job Description.” https://careers.eisenhowerhealth.org/quality-assurance-nurse-job-description/. Published last December 28, 2021. Accessed last January 28, 2023.
5 NursingCE. “Diagnostic Radiology for RN’s and LPNs Nursing CE Course.” https://www.nursingce.com/ceu-courses/diagnostic-radiology-rn-lpn. No publish date. Accessed last February 6, 2023.