ATI Nursing Education and minority-owned talent mobility company inSpring have partnered to try to help bring more international nurses on board to work in the United States.
ATI said it provides nursing education technology and support tools — including testing, NCLEX licensure exam preparation, simulation and online and in-person educational technology — for more than 60% of the nation’s undergraduate nursing programs.
“The partnership will support the academic success of international students who hope to enter the US healthcare workforce upon earning a degree in nursing. By academically preparing students, connecting candidates to nursing employers, providing vital assistance throughout the hiring process, and fostering the professional growth of international nursing students throughout their educational and professional journeys, this partnership supports the growth and diversification of the professional nursing workforce within the United States,” according to a blog post from ATI.
The most cited reason for delaying or forgoing applying to nursing school among prospective students was a lack of academic preparedness, according to an ATI Nursing Education survey.
Through this new affiliation, inSpring will vet international candidates seeking to become nurses in the United States. Qualified candidates already must have earned a bachelor’s degree in a health-related discipline in their home country.
After being vetted, the students will have their skills strengthened by ATI to prepare them for a standardized entrance exam, the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills, used by students applying to be nurses.
“As the demand for nursing care grows, it will be critical for the United States to support more students — across the country and the world — to enter and thrive in American nursing programs,” said Patty Knecht, PhD, RN, ANEF, chief nursing officer at Ascend Learning, the parent company of ATI Nursing Education. “ATI looks forward to supporting and preparing these students in their journey to become a registered nurse and bolster the pipeline of new nurses entering and staying in the field.”
Recruiting foreign nurses has long been suggested as one solution to long-term care workforce challenges, but US immigration policies can make it difficult to bring in a sufficient number of immigrants. Immigrants already comprise 20% of the RNs and 15% of the LPNs working in nursing homes, according to LeadingAge.
