There is an ever increasing need for nurses abroad. To fill the need, developed counties are now outsourcing nurses from foreign countries. The Philippines is at the top of the list as our country produces a huge number of registered nurses each year.

Each one of these nurses aims to reach foreign soil and work for dollars. Finding a job abroad is not that hard – as long you meet the qualifications. The US alone is in need of thousands of registered nurses to augment their manpower shortage. And most of the nurses they employ will be working in long term care facilities like nursing homes.

The Nursing Home Nurse

Are the responsibilities of a hospital nurse and a nursihome nurse different? No, not really. These nurses share a lot of common responsibilities. The only difference is that hospitals offer acute care while nursing homes often focus on long term care programs.

The basic responsibilities remain the same. Nurses still give medication, take doctors orders and so on. In an ideal setting the RN would spend most of her time in administrative work. But since there is an employment shortage, she may also have to take care of basic nursing tasks.

An Aging Population

Most First World countries share a common problem and that is their aging population. Children and family members have become too busy to take care of their parents themselves. The solution then is to place them in the capable hands of nursing homes.

The problem now is that there aren’t enough nurses to staff these nursing homes. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and even France are now facing a shortage in nurses and caregivers. That is why these countries are now outsourcing for labor. And who better to fill their need other than Filipino nurses?

Today, nursing homes aren’t simply dedicated to the elderly. Some care homes now provide facilities for children in need of special and/or long term care. It is estimated that the need for these types of institutions will grow in the coming years.

Where to Apply

The easiest way to get a job in a nursing home is through a licensed agency. Hundreds of agencies pepper the country. It won’t be hard finding an agency that will hire you. The only requirement is that you possess the qualifications that these agencies are looking for. But, if the nurse has relatives abroad that can sponsor him/her, then that will be more favorable. For most nurses, agency hiring is the way to go.

Beware of Scams

It is an unfortunate fact that a certain percentage of the population wanting to go abroad will inevitably fall for a scam operation. With the immense number of professionals wanting to go abroad, conjuring up a scam can be very easy. Scammers take all shapes and forms.

Some set up legitimate looking agencies. They “recruit” people, take their hard earned money and then leave them hanging. Some do their dirty work on the internet. That is why it is important that job seekers continue to be vigilant in spotting false offers.

Job seekers can easily defend themselves against scams. All they have to do is to check if their agency is licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). The POEA is very proactive against scammers. They always post a list of legitimate agencies in their offices or in their website.

It is always best to check out if an agency is legitimately registered before making any commitments. But, sometimes that isn’t enough. It is also advised that job seekers look for recommendations from people who have already been deployed by the agency. That way, they know that the agency will follow through with its promises.