Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman says it will soon be easier for foreign nurses to help alleviate shortages across the province.
Until now, nurses from other countries required more than a year of extra training before they could work here. That is being reduced to 14 weeks.
Merriman said some nurses from the Philippines have been going to Great Britain, where they could begin work immediately, and then making their way to Saskatchewan because the province recognizes British credentials.
“It was an unnecessary step in my opinion. We’ve worked to streamline that process so that we can get to a faster process to get them in here,” he said.
Merriman said the changes will increase the supply of nurses, but patient safety will remain the top priority.
“Local regulators in Saskatchewan are working with the national regulators to make sure that this is done in a safe way,” he said.
Merriman said the government worked on the changes with health-care groups including the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS), the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), the Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN), Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
Merriman said this is just one of many steps that will make it easier for foreign-trained nurses to work in Saskatchewan. These include better language training, mentorship and specialized individual supports.
Opposition rural health critic Matt Love said he agrees more nurses are needed, but that more must be done to retain the nurses already here. He said the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses is hearing from many members considering leaving the profession or moving elsewhere.
“We believe that this needs to be addressed,” Love said.
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