N.B. Nurses Association speeds up application process for Canadian nurses

The Nurses Association of New Brunswick is following Nova Scotia's lead to make it easier for nurses from other parts of Canada to work in the province, in hopes of addressing the nursing shortage.

It's also working on a plan to fast-track applications from nurses from around the world.

The regulatory body's board of directors has approved rule changes to expedite getting the credentials of registered nurses from other provinces and territories recognized in New Brunswick, effective Wednesday.

"Today alone, (as of 2:30 p.m.) 45 applicants have been approved for registration under the new rules," CEO Denise LeBlanc-Kwaw said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

These nurses would have already met the requirements of their local regulatory body, so the Nurses Assocation "feels strongly" they should be able to be registered and licensed to practise safely in New Brunswick "without undue delay," given the "strong sense of trust among Canadian regulators," she said.

Process reduced to within 24 hours

Under the changes, applicants who are currently registered and licensed to practice in good standing as registered nurses in another province or territory will only need to submit government-issued identification and a completed application form. The Nurses Association will then use that information to verify their status.

Criminal record checks, documents confirming the currency of their nursing practice, and the application fee will now be waived.

In addition, jurisprudence requirements, which include the review of a study guide and successful completion of an exam, will be suspended for these applicants, said LeBlanc-Kwaw.

"Now that fewer documents are required of applicants, and that none of them rely on third parties, the overall application process time will be reduced," to within 24 hours, she said.

LeBlanc-Kwaw did not say how long the process used to take.

But in Nova Scotia, where changes were announced earlier this month, the application process for registered nurses who are licensed in Canada, and demonstrate good standing and good character, will be reduced to 24 hours from five days.

The Nova Scotia College of Nursing also announced applications from nurses licensed and in good standing in the Philippines, India, Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand could be approved within a few weeks rather than a year or more.

Commitment to registering safe, competent nurses

The Nurses Association also hopes to further expedite the registration and licensure of internationally educated registered nurses and is working on a plan to present to government, according to a news release.

Last fall, the association adopted a streamlined process for nurses from France. That program was based on a pre-existing agreement in Quebec to recognize mutually qualified professional groups from France to accelerate licensing within their province.

The group plans to especially target countries where nurses are trained in either French or English with similar nursing education programs and scopes of practice, the release said.

The regulatory body "commits to support public safety by continuing due diligence in registering safe, and competent nurses," board president Julie Weir said in a statement.

Government supports changes

The ministers of health, social development, and post-secondary education, training and labour issued a joint statement Wednesday in support of the moves.

Health Minister Bruce Fitch said he is pleased with the "incredible work" the association is doing. "We look forward to further conversations with them in the coming weeks."

The department will be working with NANB and other stakeholders "to ensure nurses trained elsewhere can be hired, and licensed, as quickly and as safely as possible," department spokesperson Sean Hatchard said in an email.

Addressing the nursing shortage requires everyone working together, said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder.

"We are pleased that the association was able to implement an expedited licensing process for Canadian nurses that aligns with Nova Scotia's implementation date," and "hopeful" an expedited process can also be quickly implemented for internationally educated nurses, he said.

"Given the current labour shortage crisis facing our province, it is in the best interests of our province to adopt similar practices as our neighbouring province," said Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard.

The provincial government's health plan, Stabilizing Health Care: An Urgent Call to Action, includes accelerated recognition of the qualifications of health professionals trained abroad.

'Long way to go still'

The New Brunswick Nurses Union supports the changes, said first vice-president Maria Richard.

"Of course it's positive. Anything will help, but we sure have a long way to go still," she said, citing the estimated 1,200 vacant positions.

"Yes, it's wonderful that now within 24 hours if a nurse chooses to work in New Brunswick, she can if she's already licensed somewhere else in [Canada]. But the thing is, is that, I think the important word here is … will the nurse choose to work in New Brunswick and not go work somewhere else where there's retention incentives … or better recruitment incentives than here?

"I think we're going to need to wait and see."

The union contends recruitment alone won't solve the province's nursing shortage and New Brunswick should offer retention incentives for the nurses who "have kept the system going" and who will be the ones to mentor any new recruits.

It raised the issue with government last August when Newfoundland and Labrador came out with retention incentives, said Richard. Since then, P.E.I. has also offered retention incentives and just last week, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced nurses who worked full time in that province last year will get an immediate $10,000 bonus with "no strings attached," plus another $10,000 if they promise to stay on the job until 2026.

New Brunswick needs to remain competitive since other jurisdictions are also facing recruitment challenges and nurses "can go anywhere they want," said Richard.

"Everything has to come together, you know, retention and recruitment and for us now here in New Brunswick, it's respect," she said. "That's what nurses are telling us. … They're feeling totally disrespected by this government."

LeBlanc-Kwaw described the registration rule changes as a "short-term solution to recognizing a greater need of modernizing" the Nurses Act, which hasn't been updated in almost 40 years.

"Changes in the health care system that directly impact nursing is an example of the need to prioritize this project over the coming months in collaboration with stakeholders and the provincial government," she said.