Ontario nursing college now allowed to temporarily register international nurses
Ontario's nursing college can now start allowing internationally educated nurses to practise while they work toward full registration, which the government hopes will see thousands more nurses in the health system - but their union isn't so sure.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Thursday that the change aimed at stabilizing the health system is effective immediately.
"These changes will bring more health-care workers into our health system faster, helping to care for people when they need it," Jones said in a statement.
"Our government will work with all partners to ensure Ontario's nurses, doctors, personal support workers and other health care professionals have the resources, support and guidance they need to enter the workforce and continue delivering the care Ontarians deserve."
It comes as hospitals across the province have been forced to close emergency rooms for hours or days at a time in recent months due to nursing staff shortages -- particularly in the summer -- and emergency rooms report large patient volumes and long wait times, delaying and reducing ambulance availability.
The minister had previously asked the College of Nurses of Ontario to draft regulations to boost the numbers of nurses in the province and she said Thursday that they have now been approved by the government.
The college has said the changes could potentially help the 5,970 active international applicants currently living in Ontario.
The executive director and CEO of the college said it is already breaking registration records and can now "build on this success."
"These changes not only support the increase of safe, qualified nurses into the health care system, but they also ensure public safety," Silvie Crawford said in a statement.
But the president of the Ontario Nurses' Association said Thursday's announcement would "in no way immediately fix Ontario's severe nursing shortage."
"Internationally educated nurses will need supervision and mentoring when they enter the workplace," Cathryn Hoy said in a statement. "The nursing shortage means there is no one to do this."
The government needs to repeal legislation known as Bill 124, which constrains wage increases for nurses and other broader public sector workers, Hoy said.
Also effective immediately, the college will have more flexibility in allowing retired or non-practising nurses to return to the field.
Jones had also asked the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to propose ways to get more doctors working in the province and she says effectively immediately physicians licensed in other provinces and territories can get a temporary, three-month registration to work in Ontario.
She is also announcing a number of other changes that will take effect on Jan. 1, including imposing time limits on health regulatory colleges to make registration decisions and banning them from requiring Canadian work experience for registration.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.