N.B. Recruits From Abroad To Address Nursing Shortage
The Government of New Brunswick is looking across the globe to address the nursing shortage with the Internationally-educated Nurses (IEN) Program.
Since its launch in the fall of 2020, the IEN Program and its navigator service have attracted 80 nurses from abroad – with another 150 identified by the program, thanks to increased investments.
The IEN Program was originally launched in the fall of 2020 by the Departments of Health and Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour and the federal Department of Employment and Social Development Canada as a pilot project. It’s now a permanent program designed to recruit and retain internationally educated nurses.
Of the first 80 nurses, 55 were hired by Horizon Health Network, 12 were hired by Vitalité Health Network and 13 were hired to work in New Brunswick nursing homes
Another 150 internationally educated nurses have been identified through the recruitment process and connected with employers over the next year as part of a continuing effort to ensure the province recruits and retains nurses.
One of those 80, Nivea Chirayath-Wilson praised the navigator service’s assistance in getting her everything she needed to go through the process of immigrating – and clinching a job at the Saint John Regional Hospital.
“They were very helpful, and gave all the knowledge about the province and its different cities – even details on how to apply for nursing registration,” said Chirayath-Wilson “They’ve always been approachable and always ready to give an answer for any question I had.”
Chirayath-Wilson – who was educated and has worked in India, and worked in Dubai – said that the prompt responses and solid guidance she received from the navigator service staff inspired her to forward navigator service contact info to others back in India, hoping to help join the ranks of New Brunswick’s health care providers.
“I met the ministers at an IEN meeting and they emphasized that the health care system is under pressure, so I was really happy to be of help in New Brunswick and happy to work here,” said Chirayath-Wilson.
New Brunswick is now investing more to grow the program and bring a greater number of internationally educated nurses to into its health care system. It plans to build on the success of the IEN Program with a fully staffed navigator unit.
This unit will manage a ramped-up recruitment effort for internationally educated nurses in the coming years.
The navigator service provides individual specialized assistance for each client, through which candidates are helped to navigate any barriers in obtaining their licenses. This includes guidance on the National Nursing Assessment Service, provincial; competency assessments, bridging programs and provincial regulations.
The province, through the IEN Program, helps international nurses navigate the 12-18-month process they need to undergo to obtain a license to work as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse in New Brunswick. As part of this, internationally-educated nurses can work in support positions for health authorities or in nursing homes before becoming licensed.
The IEN Program, continuing to bridge gaps for those immigrating to New Brunswick and gaining employment in its healthcare system, ensures internationally-educated nurses meet registration requirements to live and work in the province.
Marwa Elnady, a nurse now employed at the Saint John Regional Hospital, previously worked in Egypt, in the medical-surgical department, and worked as a geriatric nurse in Qatar, and benefitted greatly from a system that helped her navigate the nuances of immigration and registration.
It was while in Qatar that Elnady’s journey to New Brunswick began, as she and her husband started looking into immigrating to Canada in 2017. Elnady said staff helped her whenever she needed it with both the immigration and nursing assessment side of things.
“They provided information about the registration and nursing assessment service, the fees and what would be accepted and what wouldn’t – and they didn’t spare any effort, not even after I landed here in Canada. It was really fast – I submitted the paper before the nomination on February 4 and after two days, I got the nomination and landed in Canada in December 2021,” she said.
“It was my dream to move to and work in Canada since 2017, and they helped me shape my dream. My husband and I are here with our children, and we’ve got everything settled.”
This story was sponsored by the Government of New Brunswick.