Going to a healthcare institution nowadays means you meet with healthcare workers from different backgrounds, different races, different languages, and different skills. It is a sight to see that the staffing needs of healthcare have helped in making the institution a haven for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Although, not everyone was hired domestically. Many of our healthcare workers are from different countries, and nearly 20% of our nurses are from foreign lands.
Hiring healthcare workers from other countries can be a way to address staffing shortages in the healthcare industry, as it can help to fill vacancies and bring in qualified professionals with a range of skills and experience that we are sorely lacking.
By bringing in foreign healthcare workers, our healthcare becomes more diverse and better skilled. However, there are also potential negatives to consider. Our healthcare system can sometimes be confusing, especially with regulations of where they can practice their profession. We also cannot deny the cultural and language differences between other countries to our own healthcare workers and even to the patients themselves.
Healthcare workers from other countries are more than welcome to be part of our healthcare. We need all the help we can get, especially after the height of the pandemic. And though we know that there is little that our hospitals can do about state regulations for work, there are still steps that we can take to make their transition to our healthcare industry better.
First, information and training about these regulations are crucial. Many foreign healthcare individuals are wasted because their papers do not allow them to work in a certain place.
Then, our healthcare institutions would need to provide cultural and language support. The social culture of our country can be confusing, to say the least, to other countries. Mentorship programs can also make their transition smoother.
We also need to train our foreign healthcare workers about the differences in our healthcare institutions. Some foreign healthcare workers come from countries with limited technology, while we are on the cutting edge of healthcare.
We need all the help we can get right now as our healthcare institutes are dangerously understaffed. Our healthcare also needs to do its part for the sake of DEI. The successful integration of healthcare workers from other countries can only be done through honest communication and by making them a part of your collective voice. These are pillars of DCC’s Healthcare Now program. Let’s show you more ways to help our fellow healthcare workers. Please email us at info@davidcouperconsulting.com.