Province seeks workforce push for internationally trained nurses

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/07/2022 (1377 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One year after the province announced plans to make it easier for internationally educated nurses to work in Manitoba, more than 100 people have applied for provincial financial aid to go through the certification process.

However, it’s unknown how many nurses who were educated in other countries have been able to join the nursing workforce since then.

Health-care system leaders are moving forward with a plan that would eventually allow international licensed practical nurses and registered nurses to start picking up shifts before they finish the required certification process. It is an idea that came out of a provincial working group trying to streamline the licensing process for internationally educated nurses, a Shared Health spokesperson stated.

No timeline has been set, but the idea is LPNs, and perhaps eventually RNs, with certification in another country would start working while completing their English-language education and certification.

“A provincial working group… meets regularly and work is progressing on multiple fronts. The most advanced is a joint initiative with the College of LPNs of Manitoba for eligible internationally educated nurses to enter practice sooner, in a supervised capacity, with registration with the college. Applicants would be internationally trained nurses who require minimal education and can be remediated through distance or continuing education. Implementation planning is progressing, with further details to come once finalized,” Shared Health said.

“Consultation between operators and the College of RNs of Manitoba have been initiated to explore a similar entry role for RNs.”

As of late last week, 106 internationally educated nurses living in Manitoba had applied for financial assistance under the project, which then-health minister (now Premier) Heather Stefanson announced in July 2021.

Much of the program’s work has focused on making sure international nurses have the English language proficiency to go through the certification process, but the number who’ve been able to apply to become certified as a result of the provincial program is not being tracked. That information was not available despite Free Press requests to the provincial government, Shared Health and the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

When Stefanson announced the project last summer, she said the province planned to pay up to $23,000 per internationally educated nurse to go toward assessments, training, English language requirements and other expenses (such as transportation and child care).

The expectation was nurses would be able to become certified and join the workforce as soon as possible, but that goal remains to be realized. The project is one of the main initiatives provincial leaders emphasize when asked what Manitoba is doing to recruit more nurses.

When asked how the project is working in practice, a spokesperson for the Manitoba Nurses Union said there hasn’t been much progress, although the working group has been meeting since early this year.

“Although MNU has been included on the committee created by (Health Minister Audrey) Gordon, there has not been much, if any, progress. We will continue to meet as a committee, however as far as we know, there has not been progress to make it easier for IENs to gain employment here in Manitoba,” the union stated.

The application process is lengthy and expensive. Manitoba is not the only province trying to speed up certification.

International nurses first have to apply through the National Nursing Assessment Service. The service evaluates their file and submits a report to the appropriate provincial body. That process can take up to a year.

The application then goes to the provincial regulatory body. In Manitoba, the College of Registered Nurses requires initial application and assessment fees that are more than $800.

There’s been a significant spike in the number of internationally educated nurses being assessed by the national service. The organization issued its highest-ever number of advisory reports for completed applicants in 2021-22, at nearly 12,000. It’s an increase of 40 per cent compared with previous years, said executive director Gayle Waxman.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca