Amendments to the Registered Nurses Regulations will streamline the registration and licensing process for registered nurses, making it easier for nurses educated outside of the province, including internationally-educated nurses, to work in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is one of several ongoing recruitment initiatives designed to attract new nurses to work in the province and, ultimately improve the work environment for nurses.
The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, made the announcement as part of the Health Care Action update today (Friday, June 2). Minister Osborne was joined by Lynn Power, Executive Director, College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Debbie Molloy, Vice-President of Human Resources, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services.
Together, with policy changes approved by the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, the amendment will help reduce administrative delay and enable the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador to register and license applicants more quickly while ensuring that registered nurses are competent to provide safe and ethical care.
Specifically, the changes will:
- Assist in establishing a Designated Countries Pathway for nurses from the following seven countries to apply for a license in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- United States,
- United Kingdom
- India,
- Philippines,
- Australia,
- New Zealand, and
- Ireland;
- Reduce costs for applicants; and,
- Reduce the time to complete an education assessment for International Nursing Applicants from the countries identified above from over a year to as little as four weeks (which is a result of accepting information from a host of Educational Credential Assessment services including the National Nursing Assessment Service).
The amended regulations are reflective of the emerging registration and licensing practices in other Canadian jurisdictions.
Amending the regulations complements government’s efforts to recruit nurses from other jurisdictions. The department anticipates 200-300 internationally-educated nurses from India to begin working in Newfoundland and Labrador near the end of this year. An early cohort of approximately 20 nurses is expected to arrive in early fall.
Additionally, there are approximately 200 internationally-educated nurses currently working in the province. As a result of the regulation and policy changes there will be more streamlined processes for these individuals to become licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Since April 2022, more than 500 new nurses have been added to the health care system. With improved registration and licensing process, the Provincial Government looks forward to being able to welcoming more nurses to work in the province.
Health care professionals interested in learning about the opportunities and incentives to work in Newfoundland and Labrador can find more information at WorkInHealthNL.ca. Residents can stay up-to-date on progress made and see many of the initiatives that are underway through regular Health Care Action updates and the Health Care Action website.
Quotes
“Government is proud to collaborate with the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador to make the registration and licensing processes easier for nurses who we are recruiting. These nurses are filling vacancies in the system, lightening the workload for our current nurses, and improving care for patients.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
“I am pleased to announce that as a result of the diligent work completed by officials at the College and in collaboration with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, significant reforms have been adopted and a new expedited approach to the licensing of national and international nurses has been made a reality. These historic reforms have been made using a balanced and methodical approach which will result in a more efficient and effective pathway for nurses to practice in our province at a time when they are urgently needed while simultaneously ensuring that the standards of care, which Newfoundlanders and Labradorians depend upon, remain unchanged.”
Lynn Power
Executive Director, College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
“By having a more streamlined process to recruit interested Canadian and International nurses, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services will be able to access nursing resources in more timely manner. Licensing and registration reform will facilitate our recruitment and retention efforts while ensuring appropriate licensing, competence and standards of care remains in place. This is exciting news as it provides an opportunity to decrease staffing gaps in the system, and further support nursing staff.”
Debbie Molloy
Vice President – Human Resources, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
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