FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NANB Board Approves Timelier Registration Process for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs)
FREDERICTON – Monday, May 29, 2023 – NANB Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has approved new pathways for the registration of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs), fulfilling a previous commitment to review current registration processes. NANB’s new proposed pathways will allow IENs to become registered and join the workforce in a timelier fashion while supporting their professional transition to the provincial health care system.
“We recognize that NANB is faced with a different reality than other nursing regulators as the only officially bilingual province in Canada and working within the constraints of the Nurses Act,” said Julie Weir, President of the NANB. “In addition, NANB must take into consideration other important factors such as, supporting the IEN to be prepared to meet the demanding health care context and encouraging recruitment from French and English-speaking countries not identified by the World Health Organization that require health workforce support and safeguards.”
The new 14.24.14 proposed pathways will see 14 countries, have NNAS (National Nursing Assessment Service) reports submitted to NANB within 24 hours and registrations to work within 14 days, instead of our current system that can take up to 12-18 months to receive registration. The 14 identified countries, include nine (9) Englishspeaking countries(United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, United Arab Emirates (UAE))and five (5) French speaking countries (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Lebanon), which represents over 75% of all IEN applicants to NB.
“The IEN would follow specific streamlined pathways leading to registration within 14 days from the time they arrive in Canada having already completed required coursework in their country of origin,” said Denise LeBlanc-Kwaw, CEO of NANB. “The new pathways will provide the IENs with the opportunity to work, be paid, and maintain their skill level while enabling a strong integration into the provincial health care system.” All pathways include: NNAS expertise in authentication of identification, initial and most current registration, and education within 24hrs, to mitigate the risk of fraudulent nurses entering the health care system. Depending on the IENs country of education, cultural language training, and/or a supervised clinical experience may be required. All IENs are required to successfully complete an entry-to-practice examination.
The development of these pathways required consultation with stakeholders and as the new pathways move forward on-going collaboration and support from various stakeholders will be vital.
“NANB will continue to respond to the public’s need for health care, by assessing our processes, innovating, and finding solutions with our partners, while remaining fair to our applicants,” said LeBlanc-Kwaw. “We remain acutely aware of our obligation to the public to ensure we regulate nurses, who have the required education, competencies to work as Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. We also recognize the important contribution IENs may play as Licensed Practical Nurses and Health Care Aids to assist our health care system during these most challenging times.”
It is NANB’s objective to operationalize these significant changes, which represent a unique approach to the registration of IENs, over the coming weeks.
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