Nurses working abroad

Last week we learned only nurses with highly specialized skills qualify for H1B positions. Currently, the easiest way for nurses to enter the US is the employment-based, third category (EB3). This is how most employers hire nurses. Though processing is longer, approval is more certain and with the added bonus of a greencard.

I worked as a nurse before becoming an attorney. When I worked here, I saw and experienced situations other Filipino nurses also went through. I can tell you nursing in the US is a very demanding, challenging job that requires you to be quick on your feet all the time.

Nursing has always been glorified as an easy way to improve one’s fortunes. Its accessibility to employment opportunities abroad has lured many young people to chart their careers down to this path. I know I did. I was and am still a nurse myself. However, there are hard truths. Not all roads are paved with roses for nurses employed abroad.

Nurses, like most foreign workers are exposed to changes experienced by other countries. There are uncontrollable events like natural disasters, man-made calamities like wars, revolutions, economic collapse and ever-changing policies and priorities of ruling administrations. Nurses, too, are caught up in the middle of all these.

In other countries, we hear stories about Filipino nurses being discriminated by their employers and co-workers out of cultural ignorance, professional envy, and outright arrogance. It happened to me. When some people learned I was also a nurse as featured in our local community newspaper here in the US, some blog called me a “job snatcher”. It also referred to foreign workers. I know some Filipino nurses experience discrimination in how they were treated, comments said against them, how patient assignments are shared, how promotions were given, etc. But these things do not happen solely to Filipinos. Other foreign workers and even native citizens face it too.

Some countries have tightened immigration and foreign employment requirements as well. Foreign nurses have to pass many examinations and even take a few courses before obtaining a work permit. In some countries, because of cultural and religious beliefs, foreign workers have limited freedom to associate, congregate, practice their religion, free speech, and self-expression. Language and the ability to communicate or lack thereof, sometimes enables other people to become biased against us. Of course, cultural differences and some seemingly incongruent belief systems have also been quite a challenge especially when exposed to people of either ultraliberal or super conservative leanings.

Working abroad is not always easy. There are times when your core values are tested. Filipinos are fortunate they can always thrive, adapt, and be flexible wherever we are. With unwavering belief in God and in ourselves, the Filipino spirit always rises up to the challenge with a self-assuring confidence that amidst all difficulties, we will emerge as strong as ever.