As thousands of internationally-educated nurses apply to become licensed to work in Nova Scotia, teams at Nova Scotia Health are busy.
“We can’t take our foot off the pedal,” said Gail Tomblin Murphy, vice president, Research, Innovation and Discovery and chief nurse executive at Nova Scotia Health. “Every day is going to matter here.”
As of Tuesday morning, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing has received 10,526 applications from nurses from seven countries where the scope of practice is similar to Nova Scotia. The countries included are Nigeria, India, the Philippines, the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.
The college added more staff to process applications, and teams of people at Nova Scotia Health are working to streamline the process.
“We need to welcome the health-care professionals, ensure that they feel welcome, they feel supported and we reduce the barriers for them.” said Tara Sampalli, senior director, Implementation Science and Evaluation, and Global Health Systems Planning with Nova Scotia Health. “When people come they’re coming because they want to see themselves in a community.”
That’s where mentors like Daphne Daisy During come in.
She’s an RN and family practice nurse in Dartmouth, but is also a mentor with NICHE, a program that aids to recruit and settle health workers.
“We’re there to work with them, show them the pathways they should follow, guide them. Answer all your questions and keep them at ease,” said During.
During has also received a lot of concerns from nurses trained outside the seven countries who worried they could no longer apply to come to Nova Scotia, something she reassured was not true.
She and other mentors have been hosting zoom meetings, leading group chats via WhatsApp and answering emails and phone calls. During is working with nurses in Africa.
“The time zones are different so you have phone calls throughout the night and messages, your phone keep beeping all the time,” she said. “Once you talk to them, you put them at ease.”
During said a lot of the nurses she speaks with tell her they want to come to Nova Scotia because they know there’s a need.
“So they say we know there’s a need and we want the experience as well to come overseas and work overseas,” she said.
As more international nurses begin their journey to work in Nova Scotia, teams at Nova Scotia Health, the province and others must tackle key questions including where the nurses will work and live.
“We do have from Nova Scotia Health people who are committed to working on the housing piece,” said Tomblin Murphy.
“It’s about childcare, it’s about schooling, it’s about their partners getting jobs here,” said Sampalli.
When there’s a shortage of nurses and suddenly a surge of interest, those at the table are aware of the significance of their task.
“There can be no time that passes or we will find this opportunity slipping between our fingers and we’d have nobody to blame but ourselves as full partners,” said Tomblin Murphy.
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