An aging workforce and a limited supply of new nursing graduates is the reason why Canada is slated to face a projected shortage of nurses in the upcoming years. It is forecasted that by the year 2022, there will be over 60,000 nurses required to meet the health care needs of the country. In order to address this shortage of nursing in Canada, the Canadian authorities highly rely on internationally educated nurses.
In addition to educating and training the IENs, Canada offers excellent employment opportunities to them as well. Nursing courses in Canada increasingly welcome international students, give them an opportunity to learn and inculcate requisite skills and knowledge required for becoming a competent nurse, and have a successful nursing career.
Internationally educated nurses offer a suitable and long-lasting solution to the inevitable nursing requirements in Canada. Hence, the recruitment of IENs is exceedingly relevant to meet the healthcare delivery goals of the country.
In this blog, we will look at a wide range of purposeful and lucrative opportunities presented to the internationally educated nurses in Canada. Additionally, we will also look at the receptiveness of Canada to prepare the nurses for successful integration within the country’s healthcare system. Understanding these things will enable us to know why Canada depends on internationally educated nurses and why should nurses make the most of this opportunity.
Let’s have a look at reasons why Canada is relying on internationally educated nurses:
1. PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE OF NURSES IN CANADA:
In the ever-advancing field of healthcare, the total number of overseas nurses is projected to rise. In Canada, IENs play a significant role in the healthcare field. The Canadian government is keen on transforming the healthcare landscape of the country with shifts in immigration policies.
Healthcare industry in Canada is globally acclaimed and due to this, more employment opportunities are being generated for nurses in the country. The Canadian government is open to recruiting IENs who aspire to make a successful nursing career along with offering them a variety of opportunities.
The employment prospects become even better when the IENs acquire a necessary license to practice. Since there is an aging population relying on nurses in Canada, consistent efforts are being made to produce job openings for nurses in the upcoming years.
To make sure that the professional landscape of nurses in Canada is stronger and efficient, the Canadian government gives many lucrative opportunities to the nurses. Recruiting talented and English speaking nurses for nursing in Canada ensures optimal delivery of healthcare in the country.
2. ADDRESSING THE NURSING SHORTAGE IN CANADA:
Repeatedly, many Canadian healthcare practitioners and scholars have spoken about addressing the nursing requirement in Canada. It has been predicted that this situation can further compound, as the total number of Canadian nurses will soon be approaching retirement age and exit their workplaces. To accommodate this nursing shortage in Canada, IENs are welcomed to be integrated within the healthcare system of the country.
IENs are a valuable source of human capital in Canada. Not only do they augment the Canadian healthcare workforce, but they also provide a significant and invaluable store of knowledge and expertise that can advance the Canadian nursing system. Since a good period, IENs have been representing a majority of the healthcare workforce in Canada.
Despite the fact, Canada’s nurses account for a small percentage of nurses, IENs continue to remain an important part of the nursing workforce in almost all provinces of Canada. Ensuring that the IENs transition and integrate into the nursing workforce successfully, the norms are also flexible.
Appropriate support is offered to the IENs so that they experience easy transition while integrating within the healthcare system of Canada. In addition to addressing the nursing shortage in Canada, this also helps in promoting a successful healthcare working environment in the country.
3. WORKFORCE INTEGRATION PLANS:
A major reason behind the migration of IENs to Canada is economic globalization. Many immigrants make up the total number of skilled workers in Canada, and in response to these migration trends, the government of Canada keeps introducing integration plans just to include the healthcare professionals successfully.
Some of the examples of these integration plans include presenting education and training opportunities, language training, internships, and mentorship programs for healthcare professionals. With an aim to fulfil the nursing requirements in Canada, enhance patient safety, and nursing service delivery, workforce integration is promoted in healthcare.
IENs are considered as a valuable addition to the nursing workforce in Canada. Therefore, from the application process to the assessment of eligibility, writing the licensing exams, and successfully passing the exams, the Canadian government gives complete support to the IENs.
Another reason why workforce integration is given exceptionally high importance in Canada is that it is a multicultural country. People from all over the world co-exist happily in Canada and so, the government understands the importance of recruiting overseas nurses and making them healthcare administrators. When these nurses tend to patients from different ethnicities, the patients feel a sense of belongingness and security.
4. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES IENs IN CANADA:
The federal government recognizes nurses as one of the integral parts of the healthcare system in Canada. Different nursing courses in Canada help the IENs to become prepared for obtaining the nursing licensure in the country. The stakeholders are rigorously working to bring out uniformity for IENs in the bridging programs while exploring options that help in the easy recruitment of nursing students.
In addition, different policies are planned and implemented for attracting IENs to study specialized and advanced nursing courses in Canada. Detailed planning, coordination in domestic training, and IEN integration policy leads to great outcomes and fulfills the nursing shortages.
Employing IENs safeguards patients from any risks and creates workplace satisfaction leading to much better turnover and employee retention. This results in the timely integration of IENs within the Canadian labor force.
After nurses complete a specialized post-graduate nursing course in Canada, they are presented with numerous opportunities that lead to career progression. If the IENs capitalize on these opportunities then they can spend a successful, purposeful, and secure professional life in Canada.
5. NURSING RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PRODUCTIVITY:
The most effective and commonly cited solution for addressing the nursing requirements in Canada is the recruitment, retention, and productivity of IENs. The Canadian government modernizes the health care service delivery models by capitalizing on technology, creating flexible and high-quality workplaces for repositioning the nursing profession for IENs.
Doing this helps Canada in harnessing the skills of some of the most talented internationally educated nurses all over the world. Essentially, Canada’s investment in training new nurses is largely inclined towards incorporating IENs. Developing and retaining the nurses is central in making this happen.
In addition to the domestic production of fresh nursing graduates in Canada, the nursing supply includes the migration of many IENs. For many years, the IENs have been making a substantial percentage of the nursing workforce in Canada. Although the number of these nurses is comparatively smaller as compared to other healthcare professionals like physicians but it is still on the path of rising.
Initially, IENs mostly practiced in places like Ontario, Vancouver, and Toronto, etc. However, today, the IENs are working in all provinces. While evaluating the consequences of under-utilizing the IEN human capital, Canada’s many provinces get affected. Furthermore, in keeping up with the goal of self-sufficiency in health at a pan Canadian level, the successful integration of IENs is considered an area of priority that is given detailed attention.
6. SOLVING AN IMPENDING HEALTHCARE CRISIS:
As mentioned above, Canada stands on the verge of an impending healthcare crisis because of the increasing population. This crisis can be aggravated if the shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals continues to prevail. For this reason, it is now more important than ever to enable internationally recruited nurses to practice in the country.
Many experts have suggested that with so many old people outnumbering the youth now is a perfect time to invest in nursing courses that educate the young nursing professionals in the country. Attracting the internationally educated nurses gives rise to a win-win situation both for the nurses and for Canada.
Canada is considered as the hub of nursing education because it offers a practical learning experience along with comprehensive research and clinical knowledge. The nursing courses in Canada are designed with an aim to develop the overall capabilities of nurses for fulfilling the dynamic roles in the healthcare industry.
The nursing colleges in Canada offer programs designed to help nurses experience technical, professional, and personal competency in nursing. Since Canada relies on internationally educated nurses it offers them numerous opportunities to prosper in the healthcare field.
CONCLUSION:
Canada relies on International educated nurses to meet the nursing shortages in the country. The process for the IENs for migrating to Canada is considered as a significant requisite for the enhancement of the healthcare system. Not only are the IENs educated and trained but they are also presented with numerous employment opportunities in Canada.
Nurses must use these opportunities of pursuing nursing in Canada. Since they are actively required in the country and so much is being done for them, Canada is one of the best places to make a highly successful nursing career.
