“Trump’s loss is British Columbia’s gain,” said Premier David Eby in a statement on Monday. This followed the Premier’s discussion on how 113 U.S.-trained nurses will be heading up to British Columbia to practice here. And this all also comes after the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S., with tensions and uncertainty at an all-time high.
It seems that whatever the U.S. loses, Canada will be there to collect.
STREAMLINING APPLICATIONS
If you’ve been to a hospital in B.C. in recent years, you’ll know exactly how hard-pressed the healthcare system is for staff. In order to take some pressure off of the province’s health-care worker shortage, the province introduced a new program that planned to capitalize on the frenzy in the U.S.
Namely, this program aims to streamline credential checks so that health-care workers trained in the U.S. will have an easier time practicing in B.C.. Generally, applications are required to be assessed by a third-party assessment company, but B.C. has tossed that aside in favour of checking its U.S. counterparts for employment and education history by the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives.
These changes came in April, and now in May we are seeing the results of it.
HEADING NORTHWARD
Reportedly, those that expressed interest in the program included physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals. In total, there were 1,200 professionals that wished to take part in B.C.’s streamlined credentialing.
Eby further noted that, “In British Columbia, you will be valued, your principles will be respected, and you will have the opportunity to provide care to people not based on how much they earn, but based on the level of care that they need.”
These nurses still have to apply for jobs and go through an immigration process. But, with the province being 6,000 nurses short, this program will hopefully alleviate some of the weight off of B.C.’s health-care workers.
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