The visa shortage for foreign healthcare workers may be nearing an end, according to HCCA International, a Tennessee-based healthcare recruiting company.
The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act (H.R. 5924) has been introduced in the House and, if passed, would provide visas for properly qualified registered nurses to work in the United States.
The American Hospital Association reported in mid-2007 that more than 5,000 community hospitals nationwide have a need for 116,000 RNs to fill current job openings.
And although more than 3 million RNs will be employed in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an increase of 20 percent from more than 2.5 million in 2006, a combination of job growth, retirements and others leaving the profession is expected to create a shortage of more than 1 million RNs by the end of this decade.
H.R. 5924 would help alleviate the situation and is expected to do more than end visa retrogression. Included in the measure are funds (that will come from employers like HCCA) to attract, train and retain nursing faculty, purchase educational equipment, expand infrastructure and attract U.S. students to nursing careers.