International nurses applaud changes that make it easier to work in Manitoba

Internationally trained nurses are praising recent changes to registration requirements that make it easier for them to work in Manitoba.

A recent survey of international applicants, conducted by the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, showed a 23 per cent increase in “positive perceptions” of the regulator’s treatment of global candidates compared to 2022 data.

In June, the college — which regulates the profession — announced it had eased registration requirements for internationally educated applicants. That move came after Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said prerequisites for obtaining a licence in Manitoba were a barrier to attracting desperately needed nurses.

Asagwara said some international candidates who had hoped to join the ranks in Manitoba were leaving as a result.

In response, the college announced several measures to help them become certified to practise in the province, including broader acceptance of foreign credentials and the expanded use of conditional registration.

The survey showed 88 per cent of international applicants who completed bridging or re-entry education programs agreed the courses were beneficial as part of their entry to nursing practice.

The college announced Wednesday it had completed implementing the measures following discussions with the province and nursing organizations.

“Many of the pathways we’ve contemplated for quite some time,” CEO Deb Elias said. “I think we are all very aligned on making workforce improvement and ensuring those in the workforce are qualified and competent.”

In December 2024, the college reinstated the requirement for nurses to have recent Canadian experience, which Asagwara later ordered removed. At the time, applicants had to have 450 hours of nursing experience in Canada over the past two years or 1,125 hours over the past five years.

Asagwara said the requirement broke international trade laws, including the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, the New West Partnership Trade Agreement’s labour mobility rules and legislation requiring regulated professions to ensure their registration practices comply with obligations of a domestic trade agreement.

The college now allows nurses to be approved for registration and begin work more quickly even if they have outstanding requirements, such as practise hours.

“We just really felt the urgency to do the work,” Elias said.

A statement from Asagwara said the restrictive requirements were unaddressed for too long.

Reducing “unnecessary” barriers is essential if the province wants to become a first choice for nurses, the minister said.

“Internationally educated nurses deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and supported through fair, transparent pathways that recognize their skills and experience,” the statement read.

The nurses union applauded the progress that has been made to recruit and retain nurses. Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson pointed specifically to the college’s re-entry program, which gives international nurses the opportunity to practise their skills before entering the workforce.

“It allows these nurses to gain confidence and practise in some areas they may feel rusty in,” Jackson said. “It’s better than a nurse coming in and realizing they don’t have the necessary skills.”

Jackson would like to see labour mobility applicants — nurses who haven’t practised in a long time or have no practise hours due to out-of-province schooling — be able to use the re-entry program.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca