The national nursing shortage is hitting Michigan hard and one organization is expanding its search globally to help health care facilities fill the gap.
A Michigan Health and Hospital Association survey showed about 4,700 nursing vacancies, and a 2023 University of Michigan report found nearly four in 10 nurses said they were planning to leave within a year.
Laura Messineo, chief nursing officer for the employment firm WorldWide Health Staffing Solutions, who has worked in the field for 34 years, said nursing schools, already struggling with faculty shortages, cannot train replacements fast enough.
"There have also been many new roles that have been developed outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar hospital settings that are drawing nurses out of the acute-care setting, and more so into the 'spa' realm," Messineo observed.
She argued recent graduates may not have the critical thinking skills of more experienced nurses and with the gap growing faster than schools can respond, more health care systems are recruiting overseas.
As part of the international recruitment process, applicants upload their resume, take a clinical assessment and then interview with a hiring manager. Messineo stressed those applying must meet all U.S. standards.
"The nurses that we're recruiting and bringing over to the United States are nurses that have passed the U.S. standard of an NCLEX exam," Messineo emphasized. "They also passed an English language exam of reading, writing and comprehension and they are BSN graduates."
The NCLEX exam is a standardized test required to be a nurse in the U.S. and Canada. Messineo added nurses are recruited from 17 countries, with the Philippines, Canada and the United Kingdom topping the list. They bring, on average, nine to 15 years of experience across every hospital specialty.
