Nursing is a very popular field and by choosing to pursue this profession, you will end up opening several employment pathways for yourself. That said, it is important to choose a reliable nursing course and with so many options offered at universities, you have to go forward with careful consideration. The decision to study nursing in Canada does not only open many doors professionally but can also turn out to be one of the best experiences of your life. Talking about the nursing field, in particular, Canada welcomes nursing professionals with open arms and offers them utmost assistance in terms of academic and professional development. The Canadian healthcare ecosystem is actively seeking to fill its present shortage of nurses by recruiting competent international nurses. Since Canada is in dire need to solve a health crisis and wants to avoid a nursing shortage of 60,000 nurses predicted in 2022, efforts are made to rigorously hire more nurses. Hence, for anyone who is looking to migrate in search of a nursing career in Canada then 2021 is an ideal year for nurses to study in Canada. In this blog, we will have a detailed look at why.
Impact of COVID-19 on Nursing Shortage in Canada:
Even though the shortage of nurses is not new to Canada, the pandemic has played an important role in making the situation worse because so many professionals are retiring early. Hence, the total number of nurses needed from abroad is much higher than what it was some time ago. A high level of job vacancies in the healthcare sector can also be partly attributed to the immigration disruptions because of COVID-19 travel restrictions with the immigrants playing an important role in strengthening nursing in Canada. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers like nurses were rightly hailed as heroes. Once the nurses are in their scrubs, the reality with which they had to live was very different. COVID increased the severity of nurses being overworked and understaffed while putting the mental and physical health of nurses at risk. This was compounded by the fact that most nurses were dominated by women who were saddled with looking after their children and careers during the pandemic. This was not only understood and recognized by the government of Canada but also international healthcare organizations. The authorities are aware that tens of thousands of nursing jobs are unfilled in Canada and professionals are needed to work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, home care agencies, public health agencies, etc. Hence, the efforts to offer nursing scholarships in Canada must increase at a quick rate. Canada understands that COVID-19 surely did not cause the nursing shortage, but the pandemic has supercharged the health crisis. Other factors such as increasing older population, rise in the demand for healthcare, aging of workforce and work environment are amongst other problems. Hence, nurses are needed immediately. To solve this underlying problem, a glimmer of hope is there in the efforts of the Canadian government to enrol more applicants in nursing colleges in Canada. There is no denying that nurses from the spine of the healthcare system in Canada and coherent human resource plans are in line to get implemented. 2021 and the future is surely the best time to study nursing in Canada.
Recruiting Strategies to Attract More Nurses in 2021:
It is well known that thousands of nursing positions are vacant at the present time. With a shortage of nurses, the creation, and implementation of more recruiting strategies focused on fulfilling the nursing demand will revolve around attracting and retaining new nurses. Nursing in Canada accounts for the largest profession in the healthcare sector, yet the rising demand for nurses is making the shortage even more challenging for the recruiters. With thousands of new nursing positions being created every year, there is not enough in the job pool to fill these positions. Before the size of the aging population doubles, it is pertinent to hire more nurses. The present nursing workforce consists of many professionals who are close to retirement. Hence, younger professionals are needed more than all else. The nursing schools are open to accepting applications for nursing courses in Canada. With facilities such as adequate staffing, exceptional teaching facilities, clinical sites, and sufficient funds, people wish to hire more nurses. This is to increase the number of graduate nurses competent enough to join the workforce. In addition to beginning the careers in hospitals, the nurses are also given opportunities to work as managers and leaders while getting enrolled in formal educational programs. Moreover, efforts are also being made to educate more nurses in offering preventive care so that the growing rates of chronic illnesses that need nursing care can be managed.
Flexible Working Environment Offered to Nurses:
Canada understands the vital role that nurses play in promoting the healthcare industry, services, and delivery. Therefore, it offers nurses an environment where they can focus on work-life balance and not just on the job. Nursing in Canada is supported with many extra tools such as support staff, high-quality education, and training, top medical equipment, etc. In addition, nurses are encouraged to effectively handle on-the-job stress including emotional and mental strain. The promotion of self-care for all nurses and its integration in the workplace is given due importance. Furthermore, it is understood that there is a shortage of qualified nurses in the market, and hence compensation must be a key standpoint that attracts credible talent. In the near future, we might see different tuition reimbursement and loan programs as attractive perks for nurses. In the past, many nurses burned out because of long working hours, and hence, offering a flexible schedule to nurses who work in hospitals is given importance now. The authorities realize how important that is to balance personal time and work time. To put this simply, an increasing number of efforts will be made to ensure that nurses get the best and most flexible environment from now on. Hence, all the students who are currently pursuing nursing courses in Canada can expecta professional rewarding life in the future.
Canada Is Willing to Educate and Train Foreign Nurses:
Time and again, concerns about the shortage of nurses have been raised in Canada for some time now. The ones in power and responsibility have been working to plan and implement reforms for developing nursing courses and offering nursing scholarships in Canada. There are bridging programs that educate and train international nurses very well. Canada benefits immensely by investing in international nurses. For all the money that Canadian provinces spend in investing in the advancement of nurses, there is a direct return on the tax revenues along with the enhancement of the healthcare system. Investing in the upcoming future of healthcare by assisting and supporting nurses is considered a logical consideration in Canada. In order to make sure that the nursing immigrants in Canada do not face any difficulty while working in the healthcare settings of the country, constant efforts are made to introduce the best possible nursing courses in Canada. Even though the investment cost is high for the country, it is accepted that the benefits of welcoming international nurses outweigh the investment costs. Therefore, this is a great time to study nursing in Canada.
Chances to Work in Administrative Roles:
Pursuing higher education enables nurses to gain knowledge and skills that are considered important for working in leadership and managerial roles. The nurses constitute an important part of the leadership team of hospitals, government healthcare policymakers, long-term care agencies, etc. Pursuing the leadership and management nursing courses in Canada allows the nurses to get included in the leadership boards while experiencing immense career progression. Other than this, this inclusion in the higher roles can also open the pathway for nurses to become educators, train and support new nurses, start a research program, or a nursing union that could potentially change the course of the healthcare industry. Most of all, if a nursing professional has ample administrative and nursing experience, it is considered increasingly lucrative. More than anything, when a nurse has both administrative and nursing experience, it is considered lucrative all over the world. As a profession, nursing comes with a much better learning curve than most others. Almost every day offers nursing practitioners to learn something new while gaining interactive experiences. A passion for an exciting profession like nursing can support the nursing students in successfully completing their desire to study nursing in Canada while opening a doorway to many global placement opportunities as well. The qualification is globally recognized, and hence nurses can travel and work in a wide range of settings. Right from working in public health units to community centers, becoming a consultant, manager, administrator or even teaching students, nursing students can make the most of career opportunities all over the world. Making the decision to pursue nursing in Canada in 2021 can very well become a gateway to turn into a nursing leader in the future.
Conclusion:
The development of the nursing profession is a necessity for achieving improved health outcomes and securing and promoting the well-being of Canadian citizens. The Canadian government is ready for greater investments in educating the nursing workforce as they consider it as a benefit rather than an impending cost. Hence, 2021 is, by all means, one of the best times to study nursing in Canada.
