Nova Scotia Health initiates programs for immigrant workers
Nova Scotia, like all provinces, is struggling to fill vacancies in its health care system. It was announced by N.S. Health Minister Michelle Thompson in August 2022 that strategies would be put in place to streamline the licensing program for immigrants who are eager to work in the health sector.
Since that time, the Nova Scotia Health Authority has instituted many initiatives to assist immigrant workers get hired and licensed faster. A spokesperson from N.S. Health outlined the programs put in place to help immigrants across various sectors of the health care system.
N.S. Health has hired three community navigators who serve as liaisons between international professionals and the health care system.
By late last year, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing incorporated changes that assisted more than 210 internationally-trained nurses obtain their license. That is an increase of 250 per cent over all of 2021.
Immigrants now have access to an eight-week online orientation via the Nova Scotia Health Learning Institute for Health Care Providers, which introduces internationally-educated health care professionals to the Canadian health care system. They also assist in creating immediate roles for immigrants who want to be employed while working to get their license. For those who receive notices of ineligibility for licensure from a regulatory college, there are roles where they can work in the Nova Scotia Health system as a starting point.
Immigrants can become oriented to Nova Scotia’s health care system, using the positions available to them while working their way through the licensing system. There was a website launched for Ukrainian Nationals where users’ information is collected concerning their qualifications and work experience. This site assists workers navigate working in Nova Scotia’s health system. By late 2022, 338 utilized this resource and are in varying stages of the process.
Both the Department of Health and Wellness and Nova Scotia Health are committed to providing support to both the regulatory colleges and internationally-educated health care workers.
Their goal is to provide a more effective and efficient process that will work to fill as many of the available positions in the health care system as possible.
COVID has not affected the implementation of these programs and they continue to be a valuable resource for immigrants wanting to work in Nova Scotia’s health care departments.
