IEN Registration in Alberta to become more difficult

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2013

I read the same article this morning. Given that there are hiring freezes in place at the moment, tighter registration rules for IEN's is probably a good idea for now, anyway.

Fiona59 · Mar 19, 2013

It might also stop certain nations as regarding nurses as exportable items of widely different qualities.

I'm hoping that CLPNA stops issuing LPN designations to overseas BScNs that meet CARNA's requirements. It's just not fair to North American educated LPNs.

Have you ever worked alongside someone who does nothing but complain that they "only got an LPN license and I'm an RN back home".

Not a great experience.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2013

At the moment, I work with 2 NA's who are IEN's trying to obtain registration with CARNA unsuccessfully. So they've decided to try to register with CLPNA. I don't think this should be allowed, either.

It is tiring hearing: "I'm a nurse back home. It's not fair."

That's great, but they need to meet our standards here. I also feel that given how dismal the job market is again that all IEN registration be severely halted until things improve. Our own nurses are having a hard time finding work.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Mar 20, 2013

It makes sense to me, why fund an international assessment when there is no work? Also if home was so good why did they go to Canada!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 20, 2013

Also if home was so good why did they go to Canada!

Some people want the chance to travel and learn something different. Doesn't always mean something not right in their own country but many professions move around

lemur00, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2013

Ugh the person all "Where are we supposed to get qualified nurses?" Try Canada. We have a few newer nurses on my unit who moved from BC and AB because they couldn't get full time jobs in those provinces. I think it's probably a good thing to not be actively working to put more nurses into the pool than are there now.

As to the sense of entitlement some IENs have, I don't think it's entirely their fault. They're being told that they have equivalent education and that it will be easy for them to get their licenses in Canada. I mean they are being kind of churned out in some places for this purpose, so of course they're going to be told that. And at one time they did get a lot more support, so I think they're surprised that this isn't still happening. Not that it is any less annoying, but kind of understandable.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2013

I would agree that at one time, not so long ago IEN's were actively recruited, and when the market improves, IEN's probably will be sought out again. However, in recent months the circumstances have changed and we have more nurses than jobs. Within the last month, more than 50 percent of the nursing jobs have either been frozen or disappeared from the AHS website.

I wanted to move to California at one time. Well, that idea is off the table. Within the last two years, the California BON enacted tighter restrictions to keep nurses out, and so they should. Their own local nurses are having a tough time securing jobs. It's the same in Canada. We can thank our politicians....hiring...not hiring.

renzlao, MSN, APRN · Mar 20, 2013

I am an IEN with a post grad Nursing degree. I applied via a federal skilled visa. We were actually told when we received the visa that there is a possibility that we might not be able to work as an RN since there is a chance of upgrading. I did my 16 month return to RN practice from a Canadian University and just recently passed CRNE in BC. Even with upgrading ( I now have 8 years of nursing education) and over 5 years of med-surg experience, it's still difficult to find a job as an IEN. So sad The job market is tough right now.

Peeshpie · Mar 20, 2013

Why did AHS travel to the uk last year to recruit experienced nurses? The representative told me that they were desperate for nurses and the shortage wouldn't be ending anytime soon!! Leaves me with the feeling that I might well waste 550 dollars trying to register to practice if the jobs aren't actually available!!

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2013

It's very frustrating for sure, but cuts to the health care system have been made since last September, and after the budget was announced on March 14, AHS is receiving 1.5 percent less from the government for funding. That's the way it goes, and nursing has always been cyclical.

There are less than 250 jobs posted on the AHS website for nursing today. Very few jobs for anyone, and if you're an IEN, finding work will be even more challenging. What about the nurses who were laid off and shifted around recently? They are less than impressed, I'm sure. Everyone is affected by this recent turn of events, not just IEN's.

lilaclover6984 · Mar 20, 2013

Personally, I'm glad that this program has shut down. Why on earth are we filtering in all these IEN's when there isn't even enough nursing jobs available for Canadians? We have so many IENs working on my unit that as a white Canadian I am often a minority.I know of many Canadian nurses who are having great difficulty finding a job. And to anyone who may be offended by this, imagine if you were back in your home country and working at a hospital where you were a minority in your own country, and working with 95% white Canadians ( or another outside country) and meanwhile nurses from your own country we're sitting home without jobs?

And I agree with the previous poster who said it is siooooo annoying working alongside a IEN who is here working as an NA and won't shut up about " I was a nurse back in wherever " and t"!this isn't fair". Nobody forced you to come to Canada. I just don't understand that if things where so great back in wherever you came from, then why move here?