President's Notebook:
Welcoming Our "Come From Far Away" Nurses

When the news broke that Nova Scotia was removing some of the licensing barriers for internationally educated nurses to practice in this province, we all cheered, hoping this could be a plausible solution to the nursing shortage crisis. 

Back in March, Nova Scotia’s nursing regulator, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing’s announced the implement a new first-in-Canada approach to registration and licensure that would establish a fast and predictable pathway. Registered nurses who demonstrate good standing and good character and are licensed in Canada, the 
Philippines, India, Nigeria, USA, UK, Australia, or New Zealand, are eligible for registration and licensure in Nova Scotia immediately with no additional requirements other than passing the entrance exam. 

Since that announcement, scores (over 10,000) of IENs have applied to work here, to become Blue Nosers, with or without the understanding they’ll sometimes encounter difficult working and weather conditions.

Imagine for a moment what it must be like to leave your home – the place where you were born and raised – in search of job security and stability. For some, it’s the adventure of a lifetime, but for others it comes with immeasurable trepidation and uncertainty.  

Currently, our freshest IENs are being introduced to our healthcare system. They are receiving orientation or “onboarding” at various sites. Over the summer, I held virtual sessions with enthusiastic IENs who wanted to know all about the NSNU and what we offer. These were enlightening and positive interactions.

But imagine if you will what it must be like to arrive in a region where the vacancy rate is substandard, 
the cost of living has skyrocketed, and access to personal healthcare is at a premium. That is the 
experience for many IENs who have chosen to work in Nova Scotia. It is not all rosy. 

Housing shortages, limited access to primary care providers, unaffordable gasoline and food costs, are harsh realities for locals and newcomers. They must also grapple with cultural differences and “our” way of doing things, both on the job and in their new community. 

Government recently announced the purchase of a hotel in rural Nova Scotia that will house healthcare workers. That project will not be up-and-running until the summer of 2024. In the meantime, individual communities are seeking innovative ways to accommodate IENs and embrace them, making it a warm and welcoming homecoming. 

Inviting IENs to work in Nova Scotia is not new. For decades, nurses from far and wide have been hopping on planes destined for our shores. It is the recent increase in the volume of IENs arriving that was unforeseen. 

As they arrive, they need support and encouragement from their employers, their co-workers, their union, and their communities. Most have left families behind and are keen to build bonds at work and elsewhere. 

Some are homesick and some are possibly second guessing their decision to come. Let’s give them every reason to stay. 

As a society we must be gracious and empathetic as these nurses struggle to adapt. As fellow nurses, we must strive to understand the challenges they face, including racial discrimination. As Maritimers, we must live up to our reputation as being compassionate and kind so that our IENs choose to make Nova Scotia their permanent residence.