The province of New Brunswick is inviting internationally trained francophone nurses to work in its long-term care sector, with eight nursing homes participating in a recruitment mission to Belgium and Morocco last September.
In a conference held at Villa Providence in Shediac on May 3, 2024, Health Minister Bruce Fitch welcomed many foreign trained nurses.
“International recruitment missions to support our health-care recruitment strategy is one more concrete way we are working to ensure our health-care workers are part of a well-staffed system and New Brunswickers can access the right care at the right time,” he said.
“Internationally educated nurses bring with them their wealth of expertise and skills that will benefit New Brunswickers. Their integration works with our efforts to increase training for nurses from New Brunswick.”
The mission was the first exclusive one for francophone nursing homes and was modelled on a past mission to the Philippines.
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The mission to Belgium and Morocco allowed 140 offers to be made by participating nursing homes, including 58 by Villa Providence, which has had 26 employees arrive, with four more coming in the near future.
Since 2019, New Brunswick has invited 1,400 internationally trained nurses to join the provincial health-care industry through immigration, as per a news release.
“Our focus on internationally educated nurses has helped grow recruitment from what was virtually non-existent a few years ago to attracting hundreds,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Greg Turner.
“We have been increasing recruitment activities in French-speaking countries, and more are planned.”
Internationally educated nurses need to meet the requirements set out by the Nurses Association of New Brunswick to work as registered nurses in the province.
“We are delighted to be welcoming internationally educated nurses into our system,” said Ronald LeBlanc, CEO of Comfort Life Network, which operates Villa Providence.
“They are part of a team that works every day to provide residents with excellent care and support.”
The province, according to Fitch, is working closely with the Nurses Association of New Brunswick to help expedite the process of new workers to get their credentials recognized.
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The association now recognizes credentials from “about 14 countries,” including France, Belgium, Morocco, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom.
They can work in support positions, such as personal support workers, for regional health authorities or nursing homes before obtaining their license.
“If I recall the work plan for the Human Health Division in the Department of Health, there is about 18 different recruitment missions that they are planning in the next year … so that ongoing recruitment will continue and some of these countries, we work with the government and that’s part of their strategy as well in creating nurses that can go abroad and work in other countries,” said Fitch.
“It’s been a practice that is expanding and we hope to continue to see this success as we saw today,” he added.
