Provinces are breaking down barriers for internationally-trained nurses to practice in Canada through streamlined processes and regulatory changes – and the result is a surge in the number of applications from nurses looking to work in Canada.
In Atlantic Canada, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) launched its expedited registration and licensure process for international applicants from seven designated countries, the Philippines, India, Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, on May 1.
Under the new process, the processing time for nurses licensed in other parts of Canada drops to only one day from five and the time to process applications from internationally-trained nurses in those countries drops to only a few weeks rather than months.
“I am pleased to share what is truly a first-in-the-country approach to licensing international and Canadian nurses in Nova Scotia,” said NSCN CEO Sue Smith.
“The new approach will significantly decrease licensing time, increase licensure of nurses, reduce administrative requirements, and is aligned with new initiatives of healthcare partners. It’s a safe and faster process for nurses who want to work in our province, which is a good news story for all Nova Scotians.”
“We need more nurses across the province and we need to make it easier for nurses who want to come and build their lives here to get to work quickly,” she said.
Only one week after the new process was launched, the number of new applications received by the NSCN portal had hit 8,821.
That’s on the East Coast of Canada. On the other side of the country, on the West Coast, internationally-trained nurses hoping to work in British Columbia are now getting a $3,700 break from the province which has nixed application and assessment fees.
“There are talented and skilled nurses with the right experience who want to practise in B.C. and support high-quality care but they are kept on the sidelines by an expensive and complicated registration process,” said British Columbia Premier David Eby.
“Whether a nurse was trained in or out of the province, we are ready to welcome those who are ready to care for British Columbians.”
Nurses who have not been working in their fields for a while are also being spared British Columbia’s $300 application fee and being offered more than $4,000 in financial support for their assessments and travel costs to help them re-enter the workforce.
British Columbia Axes Application Fee And Offers Financial Support To Nurses
The province is also offering $10,000 in bursaries for any additional education required for nurses who want to return to practice.
“By removing the barriers for more nurses to join our healthcare workforce, we are ensuring that people throughout the province have greater access to the health services they need when they need them,” said British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix.
“Our government will continue to take action to recruit and train more healthcare workers to meet the healthcare needs of British Columbians. In creating more accessible careers for nurses in B.C., we are delivering on our commitment to build a sustainable health system for many years to come.”
In April last year, the province invested $12 million in bursaries for internationally-trained nurses and to launch a new marketing campaign, provide navigational support to these nurses through Health Match BC, and launch a consolidated assessment approach.
Then, in September last year, the province pledged another $1.3 million to set up a new pathway to make it more efficient for internationally-trained nurses to obtain licensure.
In the Canadian Prairies, the province of Alberta is also wooing internationally-trained nurses to deal with its labour shortage in the healthcare sector.
The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) overhauled its application process last month and made it easier for internationally-trained nurses to get the clearance they need to work in that province.
Since then, Alberta has seen a surge of applications from internationally-trained nurses.
“The numbers have increased exponentially,” Andrew Douglas, an executive director at the college, reportedly said.
The changes to speed up the CRNA’s application process went into effect on Apr. 4. Since then, the regulator’s call centre has reportedly received more than 7,000 inquiries, almost 1,200 people have started the application process, and the college has issued 672 permits.
By comparison, in the entire four years that ended last year, the CRNA received only 582 applications.
