EDUCATIONAL NEEDS TO SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES IN CANADA

Objectives:
Considerable literature exists on the immigration of internationally educated nurses (IENs) in other countries, but little information exists to guide the development and implementation of programs that promote the successful integration of IENs in Canada. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences with integration of IENs in Canada and the information and educational program required to support successful integration in the future.

Methods:
A comparative cross-sectional research design of a random sample of 2,107 IENs (RR= 42%) and 1,172 Canadian-educated nurses (CENs) (RR =40%) was conducted. The survey gathered information on professional/demographic characteristics, educational needs and knowledge supports required and provided, and the integration experiences by both IENs and CENs.

Results:
Considerable differences were noted between the groups. IENs had statistically significantly lower perceptions of the amount of educational support and opportunities provided for updating their knowledge/skills. In addition IENs identified concern with the information available to them prior to entering the country on the educational requirements for licensure, the availability of meaningful programs to support this, and the complexity of the licensing process.

Discussion:
This study provides the first information on IEN experiences in Canada; compares the experiences and perceptions of IENs and CENs education and outlines educational, policy and workplace strategies needed to successfully integrate IENs into the Canadian context.