The program allows 4,000 residents from Northern Ireland between the ages of 18 and 35 to enter the United States each year to work for up to three years. It is a win-win situation for both countries, said veteran nurse Diane Kriegal, a director of services development for Tenet who is helping with the Irish nurse recruiting efforts. Tenet probably will only be able to take about 100 nurses a year from Ireland because of their shortage, she added. Growing competition for the world's available nurses could eventually jack up the costs of foreign recruiting. A shrinking pool of talent also may force countries, such as Canada, to more adequately deal with the root cause of their shortage, Auffrey said.
Foreign recruitment is short-sighted.
Georgia's Hatmaker agrees. Hospitals need to focus on retention as well as recruiting, she said. The Canadian Nurses Association is working to compile a national report that will show exactly how many nurses Canada needs versus how many they have, she said. Similarly, U.S. Institute of Medicine President Kenneth Shine, who spoke recently at Emory University, said the institute plans to tackle the nursing shortage issue, particularly how quality of care has been affected. The Georgia Hospital Association is supporting federal legislation that would provide more dollars for nursing education and make it easier for nurses to pay back school loans, said Karen Waters, the hospital association's vice president of professional services.