A Hidden System of Exploitation Underpins US Hospitals’ Employment of Foreign Nurses

October 3, 2023

(Quartz) – Her employment contract with Tallahassee Memorial committed her to working for the hospital for at least three years and barred her from changing departments for at least one year.  Moreover, Rachel had also signed a contract with a Florida-based recruitment agency, Professionals to USA (PTU), that had arranged the job at the hospital and handled her immigration paperwork. The agency had charged her a $2,500 fee as part of the application process, she said, and she had to shoulder thousands of dollars in additional costs, such as a job offer letter and a medical clearance exam. Rachel also said her PTU contract included a $30,000 breach fee, a common practice among agencies that recruit nurses to work in the United States.  (Read More)