Managing the Healthcare Workforce: Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) (Research Paper Sample)

Managing the Healthcare Workforce: Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) [Name] [School Affiliation] [Course] [Instructor] [Due Date]  Managing the Healthcare Workforce: Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) The preceding decade has witnessed a prompt escalation in the migration of health personnel, particularly in most developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. According to Batalova (2020), more than 2.6 million immigrants in the US were hired as health personnel in 2018, with 1.5 million of them employed as doctors, registered nurses, and pharmacists. Furthermore, Batalova (2020) states that nurses' immigration to the United States has tripled since 1994, to close to 15,000 entrants per annum. This increase in health workers' migration has been fueled by the gradual shortage of health workers in developed countries. Li et al. (2014) state that most developed countries face an impending nursing scarcity due to the augmented healthcare demands. In most developed countries, including the US, immigrant nurses are popularly referred to as internationally educated nurses (IENs). IENs are usually significant in the United States because they help the country meet the healthcare necessities of the populace. The US, like most countries, requires professional requirements for internationally educated nurses migrating to the country. Rosenkoetter et al. (2017) state that health worker recruiters should follow guidelines such as the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethical Conduct for the Recruitment of Foreign Educated Nurses during the recruitment process of IENs. The professional requirements for the IENs include occupational visa requirements, the transitory of NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN, and a license to practice within the 50 US states. In addition, the IENs should be proficient in the English language both verbally and in writing (Marć et al., 2018). The occupational visa is usually an H-1B nonimmigrant temporary visa provided to professional workers in specialty occupations, while the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a standardized test that ensures the IENs are equipped to practice nursing. In the present day, the IENs make up about 15% of all registered nurses in the United States, thus playing an essential role. Walani (2015) states that IENs provide a solution to the predictable ultimatum for the nursing workforce. Moreover, the IENs play a critical role in meeting the pressing health needs of the US populace. These nurses also play a beneficial economic role in the country since the training required to prepare the IENs for work is very cost-effective. Despite their extensive roles in the country, most healthcare organizations face challenges while working with the IENs. According to Rosenkoetter et al. (2017), healthcare structures fluctuate between countries thus, subjecting health care institutions to challenges during the transition of IENs to the US health system. Additionally, cultural norms and language barriers pose a major challenge because IENs take time to adapt to the organization's standards properly. If unsolved, these challenges can ultimately affect the organization negatively by subsiding its performance and service quality. Like the healthcare organizations, IENs are also bound to experience personal and professional challenges due to the overpowering relocation. A quantitative study conducted by Walani (2015) found that IENs in the US experienced racism, inequality, discrimination, and marginalization in the workplace. Additionally, the study stated that the US patients were more demanding and undervalued the IENs' proficiency since they were not from the US (Walani, 2015). Other personal challenges include language barriers, failure to make new friends, variations in roles, relationships, time, life structure, and self-esteem. Relationships play a substantial role in the settling of IENs in the host countries. Rosenkoetter et al. (2017) identify the issue of relationships as a significant challenge to the nurse immigrants in the...