Hospital still needs 32 nurses

The Commonwealth Health Center needs about 32 more nurses to be at full capacity, according to hospital nursing director Leslie Camacho.

“That’s all vacancies, including certified nurse assistants, hemodialysis technicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, as well as graduate nurses,” Camacho said.

CHC currently has 158, all of whom are either registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or certified nursing assistants.

Despite the challenges CHC faces in attracting and retaining nurses—mainly due to immigration hurdles and the comparatively low salary it offers—it continues to actively recruit nurses both locally and from off-island, according to Camacho and Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña.

So far, the hospital has recruited a total of 17 nurses since the start of this year. However, the turnover is also very high, with the hospital losing 27 nurses so far this year.

One of the biggest recruitment issue is the lengthy process to have it approved by immigration. When CHCC hires from the Philippines, it takes from two to six months for a new nurse to arrive on Saipan.

For U.S hires, the struggle is the salary range, because nursing jobs in the U.S. mainland offer a higher salary compared to the Commonwealth.

In the U.S., a registered nurse’s average salary with a bachelor of science in nursing range from $58,000 to $82,000 per annum; in the CNMI a registered nurse with a BSN would only be earning between $29,000 and $33,345 per annum.

In the U.S., an associate of science in nursing registered nurse would earn from $55,500 to $68,000 per annum whereas a registered nurse with an ASN here in the CNMI would earn only from $24,889 to $24,889 per annum.

For a license practical nurse, the U.S. salary ranges from $29,400 to $50,700 per annum, while the CNMI’s LPN salary is only from $20,485 to $24,889 per annum.

For a certified nurse assistant in the U.S, the average salary per annum is from $18,300 to $31,500; for CNA nurses here in the CNMI it is $17,000 per annum.

On the bright side, the Northern Marianas College also produces nursing graduates and the U.S Department of Education on National Center for Education Statistics said the average age of those graduating from the field is 22.

However, not all nursing students who graduate at NMC decide to stay and work in the CNMI as some go off-island to seek better opportunities or pursue higher education.

The hospital now plans on restructuring the salaries of its staff, creating a preceptorship program that calls for an experienced nurse mentoring a new one, and working with the CNMI Department of Labor.