Program Training Immigrant Nurses Expands

Another story about programs to help immigrants continue in the medical professions they were in before they came to this country. All they need is help with language and medical standards and updating of their knowledge and skills. DP

By JENN BOGDAN

somd.com: ANNAPOLIS -- Yelitze Medina spent eight years as a nurse for the Venezuelan air force. In 2001, when she moved to the United States with her husband, she never expected it would take seven years to obtain the license she needed to continue in nursing.

Medina credits the Latino Health Initiative, which helps foreign-trained nurses learn critical English language skills and American medical standards, with getting her the license she needed. She is now an emergency room nurse at Washington Adventist Hospital.

"Before the program I was scared I couldn't do the nursing here. But, oh, my goodness, they showed me to be motivated and not give up on what I wanted," Medina said. "I love to help the people, and now I can finally do what I love here."

Medina is one of 11 to earn a nursing license in conjunction with the Latino Health Initiative of Montgomery County.

The program, which took its first class of 25 in 2005, aims to combat the nursing shortage in Maryland by utilizing the already-trained immigrant workforce. Maryland is projected to have a shortfall of 17,000 nurses by 2012.

The nursing program has been renamed the Licensure of Foreign-Trained Nursing Professionals Program. Starting in December it will begin teaching foreign-trained nurses of all nationalities.

Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.