College of Registered Nurses easing application process in Manitoba

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba is expediting the international educated nurse registration process to help support the province’s health care system.

The move will make it easier for international nurses to work in Manitoba as applicants no longer need proof of immigration status.

The college is removing some requirements for both updating proof of identity and English-language proficiencies and the college is working to allow nurses to retake their clinical competence assessment if they are not happy with their initial result.

“Expediting the number of nurses in the system, will help to gain access to care as well,” said Deb Elias, CEO and registrar at the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

“Applicants who are currently in the queue will look at these changes and carry on, or others that may be thinking about applying will engage in that process and reach out to us and clarify any of those requirements and support them through that process.”

The country’s health ministers continued talks in Vancouver Tuesday, as they push for more federal funding for health care.

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The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions presented solutions to the staffing crisis across Canada to the health ministers. President of the Manitoba Nurses Union, Darlene Jackson says there are three R’s to fixing the problem ­- retaining, return and re-integrating, and recruiting more nurses.

“It’s about using every resource we have to the best of our ability right now to get the system stabilized. It doesn’t matter where you go in Canada, there really is no greener grass when it comes to health human resources. We are in a critical situation throughout this entire country,” said Jackson.

When it comes to the number of active nurses, and nursing vacancies, Jackson says Manitoba is among the worst across Canada.

“We have about 12,000 nurses in Manitoba or just a bit more than that, and we have about 2,700 positions empty. When you look at the other provinces, everybody has vacancies, everybody has difficulties, but it’s in different degrees. I think Manitoba is right up there with some of the provinces that are suffering the most.”

Elias says the goal of these immediate changes is to get international nurses into hospitals as soon as possible.

“Our mandate is to serve and protect the public interest and we do that through quality regulation. The public has an assurance that if they engage with a registered nurse in whatever area they access care, that, that nurse is qualified and competent to do the work.”