Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) Recertification in Canada

Internationally educated nurses (IENs) are a valuable workforce in Canadian healthcare contributing to the sustainability of this culturally diverse society. IENs encountered multiple challenges in the process of licensing in Canada. This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of IENs in recertification and develop action research to facilitate the licensing procedure. A survey was conducted to investigate the barriers IENs in Canada are facing. Purposeful sampling was employed. A questionnaire consisting of ten (10) open-ended questions was developed. The questionnaire focused on the challenges in the recertification process and the barriers to competency assessments. It was sent to participants via email. A qualitative analysis of open-ended questions was performed and the common themes from the responses were extracted. Eight IENs who are living in Canada were included. The majority of the respondents felt the procedure was complex and took longer than expected. The information regarding bridging courses provided was not clear and caused confusion. It is costly to undergo registration and education. Respondents felt stressed and frustrated with the recertification process. The findings indicated that more support for IENs in attaining professional credentialing is needed. Recommendations were developed regarding the data collected from the respondents.