Funding for research on foreign-trained nurses

Andrea Baumann and her team at the Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU) are receiving provincial funding for more research to help improve employment for foreign-trained nurses.

Eric Hoskins, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has announced that the government is investing in 31 bridge training programs across the province. The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is one of the organizations receiving funding for the project entitled: A Framework for Integrating Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) into the Health Care workforce.

Baumann and her research team at the NHSRU are working with colleagues at the OHA to investigate the integration of IENs into the workforce. Baumann says IENs cannot be truly successful without organizational commitment.

“Our findings show problems with programs funded by granting agencies for a limited amount of time and they cannot make lasting changes,” she said. “There is often too little high level involvement to support change. This situation may be the result of a lack of evidence-based studies.”

Baumann and her team are intending to provide evidence to guide the creation of best practice guidelines for employers of IENs.

Research in this area over the last six years highlights the challenges IENs face in becoming licensed and entering the workforce in Canada. Their research shows that IENs face barriers to entering the workforce at all stages of the immigration process from the time they enter Canada to starting their new position.

According to past findings, for IENs who require additional qualifications to be eligible to practice nursing, there were various bridging/upgrading programs with different opportunities and restrictions. Most programs are relatively new and are funded on a temporary basis. Research suggest that if more IENs are to enter the workforce a permanent and consistent funding model for upgrading and bridging nurses into the system may be helpful.