2005 RNABC Annual Meeting
Public Submission for Issues Forum

Title: International-trained Migrant and Immigrant Nurses

April 19, 2005

Brief Description:

On behalf of the Filipino Nurses Support Group, an organization representing over 600 Filipino nurses - the majority of them are Philippine-trained nurses who have entered Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program, we would like to express our concerns around internationally-trained migrant and immigrant nurses: (i) the lack of a committee engaged in policy assessment and development that focus specifically on internationally-trained migrant and immigrant nurses (ii) the non-recognition of nursing degrees obtained from many countries outside Canada (iii) expensive fees and the English requirement involved in the licensure process.

The RNABC's assessment fee for international-trained migrant and immigrant nurses is the highest in Canada. RNABC has limited the options of meeting the English fluency requirement: RNABC has decreased the number of approved English fluency tests to two, unlike other provincial regulatory bodies that have expanded to seven.

Registrants should be interested in this issue because:

· In 2004, 28% of nurse registrants were nurses trained outside of Canada. Philippine-trained-nurses consistently remain the highest number of registrants from outside Canada since 1995.

· High fees and limited number of approved English fluency tests in BC may compromise the regulatory body's support for inter-provincial mobility under the Agreement on Internal Trade and the Mutual Recognition Agreement.

· BC is facing an intensifying nursing shortage in unprecedented proportions compromising the public's entitlement to safe and ethical care from competent nurses. According to RNABC's Annual Report, the number of complaints received in 2004 with respect to sexual misconduct, incompetence/negligence, unethical conduct, and fitness/impairment, increased from the previous year or remained in high numbers.

· The hundreds of Philippine-trained nurses and other internationally-trained migrant nurses already in BC who are not practicing their profession is a valuable group of professionals that once registered and working in BC's healthcare system, they will help develop and maintain safe practice environments, thereby supporting competent and appropriate nursing practice.

International-trained immigrant nurses, particularly Philippine-trained nurses who have arrived in the 1960s and 1970s, have their legacy of making positive contributions to the building of Canada's health care system.

We propose the following solutions:

· Create a specific committee within the regulatory body that shall liaise with international-trained migrant and immigrant nurses, particularly Philippine-trained nurses as they comprise the highest number of international-trained migrant and immigrant applicants, in order to actively involve international-trained migrant and immigrant nurses in the process of policy development and decision-making and to promote diversity within the regulatory body reflective of its registrants/members and the multicultural character of Canada. The Filipino Nurses Support Group is willing to be part of this committee.

· Decrease the assessment fee for international-trained applicants by $100.

· Recognize the degrees obtained in the Philippines, thus registered Philippine-trained nurses have "degree" nurse status, not "diploma" nurse status.

· Recognize the fact that the English language is an official language in the Philippines. Nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing registration in the Philippines should be recognized as meeting the English language fluency requirement, thus Philippine-trained nurses should be exempt from the English language tests.

· Expand the number of approved English language tests to include not only TSE/TOEFL and IELTS, but also MELAB, CALE, CELBAN, and TOEIC

Submitted on behalf of the Filipino Nurses Support Group
by Leah Diana (registered member of RNABC).

451 Powell Street
Vancouver, BC, V6A 1G7
Ph:604-255-6870
Email:fnsg@kalayaancentre.net