Towards a better integration of foreign health care professionals
Nursing graduates and doctors educated abroad are a non-negligible source of labour for the Canadian health care system. Among the nurses authorized to practise in Canada, some 6% to 8% were educated abroad, while foreign-trained doctors account for 22% of Canadian doctors. There are still many foreign health care professionals who are not authorized to practise in Canada, however.
The federal government, provinces and territories launched the Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative (IEHPI) in 2004 to promote the integration of foreign health professionals, aware that they could make up for the shortage of labour in the sector while reducing the waiting times currently being experienced.
New tools
Seven professions are targeted by the IEHPI: medicine, nursing, laboratory medical sciences, medical radiation technology, pharmacy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. A website was set up for international medical graduates (IMG); www.img-canada.ca groups together clear and detailed information on Canadian medical licensing requirements. Between July 1, 2006, and February 28, 2007, the site received an average of 432 visitors a day.
A multimedia development program for IMG teachers was also launched, with the participation of 17 medical faculties across Canada. The Medical Council of Canada, for its part, is working on the development of common assessment tools of these graduates, so as to have a consistent approach throughout the country.
Founded in 2004, the Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Taskforce continues its efforts as regards information, education and evaluation. These national projects are also accompanied by actions specific to each province.
Provincial accomplishments
Since 2006, all Canadian provinces and territories have developed programs for internationally educated health professionals. New associations have been created specifically to meet their information needs in Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. During its first week of operation, HealthForceOntario received more than a hundred calls from IMGs. In Nova Scotia, the specialized job search support service for IMGs gave 200 advice sessions in 2006. The province is also working on the development of an information portal for registered nurses having studied abroad.
Nunavut has focused on actions for nurses with the development of a program to help foreign nurses successfully pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam (CRNE). The service also helps them find nursing jobs in Nunavut.
At the beginning of 2007, the government of Manitoba and the province's College of Physicians and Surgeons approved changes to the IMG evaluation process in order to let them practise in rural areas. These new dispositions provide them with additional assistance and facilitate their transition to their new work environment.
More work still to be done
It is difficult to predict what impact all of these new programs will have on the integration of foreign health care professionals. While these initiatives are undeniably a step in the right direction, much work remains to be done, as demonstrated by the current situation in Quebec.
While foreign doctors account for 22% of doctors across Canada, their numbers plummet to 11% in Quebec. In Saskatchewan, their numbers exceed 40%. Quebec, like the other provinces, has set up initiatives to facilitate the integration of foreign doctors, such as Recrutement Santé Québec, for example.
In the field, problems remain, however. French language requirements and the complexity of the Quebec selection system partly account for this phenomenon. The cause of international medical graduates in Quebec is looked after by the Coalition des associations de médecins diplômés à l'étranger (http://www.medecinsdailleurs.com). This non-profit association, officially created in May 2007, provides a range of services to foreign doctors living in Quebec.