Pilot program to hire immigrant nurses was a success
Eighty nurses found jobs in New Brunswick, and another 150 will be found soon.
The New Brunswick Department of Health New Brunswick, together with the federal Department of Employment, launched a pilot project in fall 2020. The last time nurses were invited in a separate online job fair was in the fall of 2021.
Nurses were supported every step of the way: helping them apply for immigration, finding employers, and obtaining the necessary licenses. Before getting a local license, which takes 12 to 18 months, it is already possible to work in provincial medical institutions or nursing homes, but only in auxiliary positions.
Of the 80 nurses hired, 55 got jobs at Horizon Health Network and 12 got jobs at Vitalité Health Network. These are two public health networks in the province of New Brunswick. The first consists of 12 hospitals and 28 health centers in the central and southern parts of the province, and the second serves the north and southeast of the province, where there are 11 hospitals and 30 health centers.
Thirteen nurses received job offers from nursing homes across the province. The New Brunswick government has said that caring for the elderly is now most important to provincial health care, so it is very likely that nurses in the new intake will be offered jobs in nursing homes more often.
A special Navigation Service has been set up for foreign nurses, which can advise them free of charge on all questions related to proof of credentials.
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