Ford Govt. Pressure to add more internationally educated nurses of Ontario The expanded health care system resulted in just 27 nurses registering during the program’s first month, according to new data.
College of Nurses of Ontario Applicant statistics show that more than 6,000 internationally trained nursing applicants have registered in the province but have not been successfully registered.
In the fall, as part of a bid to increase staffing in provincial hospitals, the Progressive Conservative government accepted the suggestion of the College of Nurses to temporarily allow internationally educated health care workers to register to practice, While they were working towards their full registration.
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The move was one of several highlighted in an October 27 media release, where the health minister said the changes would “bring health care workers faster into our health system, helping people get care when they need it”. “
But the data show that the promise has been palpable in the early stages.
Figures maintained by the College of Nurses show that between November 1 and December 1, 2022, just 27 new nurses enrolled under the program.
Data from the College of Nurses of Ontario shows that as of November 380 international nurses were eligible for provisional classroom status, but only seven per cent successfully registered.
The second month from December 2 to January 1, 2023 saw a slight increase with 40 more nurses.
Overall, in two months, only 67 new international nurses were registered under the temporary category.
“Good for 67, but we need hundreds and thousands of nurses,” Ontario NDP health critic France Gelinas told Global News.
She said she believed the figure was likely a reflection of nurses feeling “humiliated”, particularly by Bill 124 and pandemic burnout.
“Nurses talk,” she said, referencing the difficult working conditions on the front lines of Ontario’s health-care system.
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A spokeswoman for Health Minister Sylvia Jones said that in October, the College of Nurses noted more than 5,000 internationally educated nurses “whose applications are at various stages of the registration process.”
The spokeswoman said those nurses “will be able to enter the workforce sooner” because of the change greenlit by the Ford government.
Ontario Liberal health critic Adil Shamji said he was surprised by the low registration.
“Even though we know international health care workers are eager to work and support our health care system – there are many of them in our province – this government has really failed to give them credit in any kind of quick way. not given priority,” he said. Global News.
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Relatively low raises for Ontario’s temporary class of nurses don’t tell the whole story, however, says the College of Nurses of Ontario.
A spokesperson told Global News that 2022 was “a record-setting year for nurse registration in Ontario.”
The college pointed to programs such as the Supervised Practice Experience program — which had registered 1,108 international nurses as of December 16 — as one of its successes.
Non-internationally trained nurses have also been registered through the programme.
“The changes to the rules allowing registration in the provisional category are critical to maintaining this registration momentum,” the spokesperson said.
A report published by the College of Nurses of Ontario at the end of 2022 showed a significant number of nursing registrations during the year.
In its report – Profit and Loss 2022 – the College tracked the number of nurses, including registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners, who renewed their license to practice and who allowed it to lapse, effectively closing the industry. signaled to exit.
A total of 10,814 nurses were counted as gainers in 2022, compared to 6,773 losses. This made it the second highest number of net nurse gains in Ontario last year at 4,041 over a five-year period. As per the data, the highest year for net profit was 2019 at 4,734.
Those numbers represent practicing nurses—not nurses in the nonpracticing category.
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As the new year began, on January 1, the College of Nurses introduced new measures to further boost the province’s nursing registrations.
A spokesperson said stricter timelines are now in place, meaning candidates are informed within 15 days of applying for registration whether they have submitted all the required information or whether more paperwork is required .
New language proficiency tests, a total of two English and two French, are also being accepted, while work is underway to expand the scope of registered practical nurses – if the government approves it.
“We are firmly focused on this goal and are working to ensure that all eligible applicants have the information they need to register,” said a spokesperson for the College of Nurses of Ontario.
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