Exciting CANADA openings for nurses, other health workers

Inside: Due to the shortage of nurses in Canada, three provinces are actively recruiting from the Philippines and other countries. Grab the chance to bring a better future for you and your family.

Internationally educated and trained nurses trying to come to Canada face different challenges depending on which province they choose, their own qualifications, and deep desire to work abroad.

However, our Coaching group advises applicants should go ahead and proceed with their application as this will at least give them an opportunity, or a chance to get in. They should apply to as many places as they can to increase their chances.

Three provinces in Canada have been actively including the Philippines in their recruitment strategies. 

MANITOBA

Manitoba plans to recruit 2,000 workers, mostly nurses, to their health care system and will also focus on staff retention (making sure that nurses stay on the job). Manitoba offers up to $23,000 each to international nurses working to get licensed to practice in this province. The recruitment of new workers will be through immigration and graduation by reducing barriers to getting into the system.

Specifically, this includes:

•  modernizing memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) with the Philippines to enable recruitment 
•  addressing professional testing costs and remedial training for returning, retired and internationally-trained nurses.

This was part of the announcement of Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Health Minister Audrey Gordon on November 10, 2022. The overall Health Human Resource Action Plan of the government includes retention, training, and recruitment of staff to upgrade health care for every  Manitoban.

Related post: 16 More Occupations are Eligible for Express Entry

SASKATCHEWAN

In Saskatchewan, another prairie province closest to Manitoba and west of Ontario, the ministry of health launched a bridging program last month to bring nurses from the Philippines into their healthcare system.

Much of that process is being done in three-month intervals in the Philippines, designed to give enough time for the recruits of both the Canadian and Saskatchewan healthcare systems.

Health Minister Paul Merriman of Saskatchewan, along with deans and assistant deans from different universities of the province left at the end of November for the Philippines. They provided recommendations on the credentials of Filipino nurses who will need to work in Saskatchewan.

The bridging program, Merriman said, actually happens in the Philippines to be able to make sure that they can get integrated into the Saskatchewan system. He said that any new employee through the system is eligible for up to $50,000 (about P2,000,000).

“Certainly, an RN, a nurse practitioner, or a psychiatric nurse is eligible for that $50,000 if they go to one of those hard-to-recruit places. But we’re going to get them integrated into the system wherever needed as soon as possible.” (Example of hard-to-recruit places may be north of Saskatchewan where locations are remote, with fewer residents, and with indigenous communities so deserving of service).

Saskatchewan also offers $10,000 to health workers from out of the country to help relocate their families. Also added are out-of-pocket costs, educational costs, language, and training assessment, professional fees, and settlements costs.

The province also hopes to recruit laboratory and X-ray technicians, looking at about 30 individuals on a monthly basis.

Saskatchewan partners with the Filipino community to make the arrival of new healthcare workers smoother and more welcoming. Chris Rod, chairman of the Filipino Canadian National Congress in Saskatchewan says they assist nurses to get set up to comply with Saskatchewan’s nursing license.

Watch this interview and be inspired by his success in Quebec, Canada. 

ONTARIO

In Ontario, the recognition of the education and training of Filipino nurses continues to be delayed, a process managed by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), the regulating body tasked by the government of Ontario to fill up the staff shortage in hospitals.

In a January 2022 report, Ontario wants thousands of internationally trained nurses to come work in the province’s hospitals by March 31.

Ontario is sending about 300 of these nurses to 50 high-need hospitals in the province. They will care for patients under supervision while they work toward getting their licenses. So far, more than 1,200 internationally educated nurses have applied to the CNO and expressed interest in these initiatives.

By the end of March, Ontario wanted 6,000 more healthcare professionals working in their hospitals. These workers include nursing students, medical students, and other students in the field of health care.

It appears that there are no consistent updates on what happened to these recruitment strategies. The only clear and consistent news is that Ontario and other places in Canada continue to experience shortages in nursing and other healthcare staff, mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused the burning-out of present healthcare staff, thus either they retire or move to private institutions to work.

Despite this reality, it still makes sense to send an application whenever there is an opening as this can lead to a learning and rewarding experience for you, and of course, a better future for you and your whole family if you get hired to work in Canada or come as permanent residents with your spouse and children.

Start your application now!

We at Canada Bound Coaching can assist you. Email us: admin@canadaboundcoaching.com 

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