We started this project after talking with the IENs we encountered in the northern regions. Many of them were working in minimum-wage positions in their local communities. Caroline’s experience of what was required to obtain her RN license in British Columbia has stayed with her since she moved to BC in 2016. Northern Health hired a navigator in 2022 to assist any internationally educated healthcare professional in transitioning to BC. Based on the relationship between the University of Northern British Columbia and Northern Health and from listening to these stories, we applied for a small grant to document the experiences of northern IENs, analyze the education pathways, and establish connections with our assessment providers (Inspire Global Assessment, formally NCAS) and regulators (BCCNM). We are delighted that BCNU is joining our northern work, specifically northern leadership from the mosaic of the colour caucus.
Our work has blossomed to include our post-secondary sectors in the north and our main healthcare employer, Northern Health, to examine the steps needed to support access to educational programs in the north for IENs who need translational education to support registration.
As we step into the next phases of our MSHRC2 work, we have the commitment from the northern post-secondary sectors—College New Caledonia, Northern Lights College, Coast Mountain College, UNBC, and Northern Health—to explore educational options for those living in the north, following the IGA (formally NCAS) evaluation and BCCNM review processes.