New Brunswick has offered employment to 80 internationally educated nurses since 2020 thanks to a pilot project aimed at recruiting more workers in the field.
The province says the program was designed to support workers as they apply for immigration and help ensure they meet registration requirements to live and work in New Brunswick.
Of the 80 nurses that have been recruited, 55 have been hired by Horizon Health Network, 12 have been hired by Vitalité Health Network and 13 have received job offers from nursing homes across the province.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard says this is one of the many steps the province is taking to address nursing shortages.
“Our new provincial health plan reflects the importance of ensuring we have enough human resources to provide care to New Brunswickers, now and in the future," said Shephard.
"This recruitment program will continue to play a key role in recruiting and retaining the nurses we need to help stabilize and rebuild our health system.”
The province says, in addition to the 80 nurses, another 150 internationally educated nurses have been identified through recruitment initiatives and will be connected with employers for hiring opportunities over the next year.
“It is encouraging to see so many new nurses hired through the recruitment pilot,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder.
“We are now investing to further expand and support the development of a new program, creating a fully staffed unit to manage anticipated increases in our efforts to recruit internationally educated nurses in the years ahead.”
“Nurses play a key role in providing high-quality care to long-term care residents in New Brunswick,” said Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch. “With the recent increases in the hours of care in nursing homes, we appreciate more than ever the efforts deployed to attract more nurses in our province so they can contribute to the well-being of our seniors.”
Internationally educated nurses must meet the requirements of the Nurses Association of New Brunswick to work as registered nurses in the province.
The process for an internationally educated nurse to become licensed to work as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse in New Brunswick can take between 12 and 18 months.
Before becoming licensed, they can work in support positions for regional health authorities or nursing homes, in roles such as personal support workers.
The province also developed a navigation service for the nurses — which assists candidates with barriers they may encounter while becoming licensed.
It also offers guidance on the National Nursing Assessment Service, provincial entry-to-practice competency assessments, bridging programs available in New Brunswick and provincial regulatory bodies.
Employers interested in learning more about hiring internationally educated nurses, or about supporting existing employees, can contact the navigation service at ienifenavigation@gnb.ca.
