Nova Scotia fast-tracks licensing for nurses from PH and 6 other countries

Nova Scotia’s provincial government is providing funding to the Nova Scotia College of Nursing to find ways to get internationally educated nurses licensed sooner. – Reuters

nursing authority is speeding up the licensing process for nurses from other provinces and seven foreign countries, including the Philippines.

The Nova Scotia College of Nursing said in a news release that its new policies could reduce nurse licensing time from about one year to a “few weeks” for the foreign nurses.

In addition, the college says nurses from other provinces can be eligible for licensing in 24 hours, instead of the previous process that took about five days.

Nearly 9 out of 10 international applicants for nursing positions in Nova Scotia have come from the seven eligible countries. Nearly half of the applicants have come from the Philippines and a quarter from India, Halifax City News reported.

Nurses of “good standing and good character” from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand will only need to pass the entrance exam in order to start practicing in the Canadian province.

Registrar Sue Smith of the Nova Scotia College of Nursing, says the regulatory changes are the first of their kind in Canada.

The new accelerated registration for Canadian nurses takes effect March 29. The new process for international nurses is effective May 1.

Last year, the college registered and licensed 282 international nurses as licensed practical nurses, registered nurses or nurse practitioners.