Solution to Staffing Crisis?

Staffing Crisis

AARP published a fantastic report on how the labor shortage is affecting staffing levels in nursing homes.

“Workers say their exits are driven by dangerous working conditions, poor pay and benefits, limited opportunities for advancement, burnout and the respect deficit for their profession.”

Solutions?

Many experts see immigration as the best way to solve the staffing problem. New legislation may offer a solution. Various proposals exist to bring more workers into the healthcare industry amid a severe workforce shortage.

Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would create a grant program to help cover the costs of licensing, certification, training and education provided to immigrants looking to work in healthcare. It would open eligibility for the National Health Service Corp. to non-US citizens.

International Medical Graduate Assistance Act would incentivize states to create temporary licensing programs for internationally educated immigrants with medical degrees. The programs would allow them to practice under supervision while completing certification and training requirements.

The proposal would also guarantee medical residency slots for international medical graduates if they practice in underserved communities. Grants help cover the costs of necessary training.

The Professional’s Access to Health (PATH) Workforce Integration Act would provide training and counseling opportunities to internationally trained health professionals that are US citizens and immigrants legally residing in the country.

The Administration’s State and Labor departments and Citizenship and Immigration Services instituted new practices and received an additional $275 million to quicken the process.

These seem like reasonable proposals that may solve the chronic short-staffing plaguing the nursing home industry.