Among the many lessons that the world learned through the pandemic is that nurses are true-to-life heroes. The coronavirus never sleeps, and neither do these medical practitioners, almost literally. Yet, they stayed true to their calling and rallied on the front lines to shield the community from COVID-19. While the end of this predicament is still not in sight, nurses continue to do their best as part of one of the world’s most in-demand professionals.
Sadly, the nursing shortage became more apparent because of the pressure of keeping up with rising infection cases. Work fatigue, extended shifts, and exposure to the virus turn many nurses away from the profession. Many of them decided to seek better-paying careers where they will feel the value of their efforts better. Some also want to put the health and safety of their families first by staying at home instead.
Listening to the adverse effects of the nursing shortage may make one feel like giving up. But the truth of the matter is, this is when nurses like you are needed more than ever. PRS Global understands this need to infuse fresh talent and renewed spirits into the nursing community. Here are a few reasons why you should take the opportunities the nursing shortage has brought and why PRS Global is the best way to say yes to this whole new challenge.
The shortage of nurses comes with the need to fill in the void in talent and skill. On a global scale, the International Council of Nurses estimated that 27.9 million nurses were working around the world in 2020. Unfortunately, this number has recently dwindled by 5.9 million.1
Many factors contributed to this looming nursing shortage, during and post-pandemic. Nurse burnout is a real thing: they are human and not susceptible to stress, fatigue, and eventual exhaustion. The world has also lost nurses to the virus, being the most exposed to COVID-19. In the US alone, over a thousand nurses succumbed to the virus within the first year of the pandemic.
However, don’t let these numbers scare you. The world has gone forward with preparations and precautions not only to battle COVID-19 but also welcome new nurses into the workforce. As an aspiring nurse yourself, it would be easy for you to look for job openings even outside your country, particularly in the US. The nursing shortage may be bleak, but opportunities for you are rising on the horizon.
This is where PRS Global as one of the most formidable international nursing recruitment agencies can help you. This agency can offer you a hand in looking for placement. PRS Global has a keen understanding of what it takes to bring a workforce of nurses with international backgrounds. Cooperating with this premiere staffing agency will let you easily find a medical institution in the US that will welcome you right away. Once you have a confirmed place of work, PRS Global will assist you in your transfer to the US as well.
Aside from nurses leaving the industry, mentors expected to train and inspire future nurses have sadly walked away, too. Especially since many of them are approaching retirement age, a good number were given or opted for early retirement. Retired professionals must have seen the pandemic as a start to a new life. However, it’s also possible they’d rather escape from the responsibilities of a nurse, which can be harmful to them at their age.
These supposed mentors come in many forms. Teacher-nurses had to answer a greater call of duty, which entailed dropping the chalk and donning the nurse’s uniform again. This shortage in teachers left nursing schools with no choice but to accept fewer students. Also, hospital managers and nurse team leaders have no time to welcome new nurses and show them the ropes. This also meant that neophyte nurses had to go straight to the operations floor, which can be risky for anyone new to the job.
Would you be open to becoming a mentor to future nurses? While this is quite a career shift, you can consider that just as much as nurses are in demand, so is the need for people who will help in increasing the nursing population. So, as you discern your next move of going out of the country to be an international nurse, you can explore the possibilities of being a leader among nurses.
Once PRS Global welcomes you into their ranks, you will be briefed about the medical institution where you’ll work. A particular part of this orientation is showing you career growth options in your assigned workplace. Moving up the career ladder may mean becoming a leader to other nurses, may it be in an educational or managerial setting. PRS Global does not only want you to achieve your goal as a nurse but also wants you to think about your career further.
Higher salaries, better working conditions, shorter shifts—these are only some of the demands that medical practitioners have clamored. With the nursing shortage at hand, governments and medical corporations have made significant shifts to give nurses and other medical workers better ways to serve the community and be rewarded for their honorable sacrifice. The International Council of Nurses reported that 74% of national nursing organizations and governments commit to addressing the nursing shortage, while 54% are pushing efforts towards nurse retention.1
You’ll be glad to know that PRS Global has always had processes in place to keep international nurses encouraged to do a great job and assist them in all stages of their careers. To start with, the BrightHorizonsTM Program was designed to assist nurses coming into the US. Assimilating to a new environment, which includes adapting to the culture and the people can be overwhelming. So, PRS Global will act as a support group, always checking nurses and seeing how they’re doing in or out of work.
PRS Global can assist you in various aspects of your immigration into the US. Preparations for the NCLEX, looking for a place to stay in, handling legal matters such as citizenship and licensing—these are just a few of the many ways PRS Global will help you be a bona fide nurse. Through this, you will also be assured as an international nurse that you have a place in the US community of medical practitioners.
Being a nurse during normal times is already noble, but being a nurse during the new normal is both noteworthy and heroic. PRS Global is here to not only prepare you for pandemic demands but even as the nursing shortage continues into a post-COVID-19 era. Contact PRS Global now and start your journey to having an international nursing job.