02/01/2022
🎵🎶Isn’t it Ironic? 🎵🎶- must be like a lyric from a song during my teenage years. When I was not yet a nurse.
I came across this latest article in the news regarding the shortage of nurses across Ontario or even Canada? Sure, with the pandemic we are experiencing right now, one hundred 💯 percent, it is certain that there is a shortage of nurses around the globe particularly here in Canada. I agree on this calling that the Organization like , the and many others the like must initiate the fast track of the IENs application.
In fact, there was a podcast interview with our own CNO Doris Grinspun and I would quote what she said: “the government must process thousands of IEN applicants…. First of all, working as a caregiver when a person is a nurse, I mean would you like to work as something else with all due respect? They came as caregivers because that’s the only way for them to come come to our wonderful country. THEY ARE NURSE. These are people (and I have their files now) they are RNs and RPNs … they need to be put to work as nurses because that is what they are…. All of that is needed, but they are NURSES, so let us start there and that is what patient needs now….”
I had mixed emotions of what I felt while I was listening to all she had to say.
Yes, it was true, I could not agree more that We are nurses and must be in a place where we are supposed to be. I was happy because my fellow IENs will be joining me to work in the Canadian healthcare environment, because there are organizations like that pushes governing bodies to speed up their applications. That there are people who believe and support our competence and ability that we can equate the Canadian standard of healthcare system. We thank you that you see the hardship of the IENs with their applications.
On the other hand, what about us? The previous IEN applicants who experienced all the psychological and emotional burden during our application? I am all saying these because, I know I am not alone, there are many IENs out there who went through their journey all by themselves. No one supported and believed on us. No one heard our sentiments and sacrifices. We made it on our own.
Why am I saying all of these? Let me get straight to the point. I have nothing against my fellow IENs, whose application if fast tracked by these governing bodies can now easily get into the workforce as an RN. In fact, as what I have said previously, I will be happy that they can join me to work in the Canadian healthcare environment. During my application to the , they made me feel like I was not good enough, that there was always lacking. They sent me back to school and now I am swamped with student loans and debts. I developed low self esteem and drowned with depression. At that time, I felt like I almost gave up. I stopped practicing my RN profession because I had to wait six long sacrificing years before I could get my licence. I wasted time, money, and energy just to keep moving and fighting. It was traumatizing for me.
These sentiments of mine goes back to with a calling that we too – the older batch of IENs needs your support by helping us alleviate the effects of our sacrifices. Isn't it IRONIC that Why now, someone can advocate for the fast track of the IEN applications when nobody cares before? Why there's somebody who can listen to them now when everyone played blind and deaf with our sacrifices before? Isn’t because we are short of nurses, and it is the intense social and political issue of today? Is it that easy to call for the and the Canadian Immigration to crook or bent the application procedure? If that is the case, WE are also calling for your support to alleviate the effects and the negative experiences we had during our application. We want to be heard and supported by these nursing and government organizations.
To my fellow IENs, how long did it take you to be granted with your license by the ? Please share your experiences. 📢🔊📢🔊
Reference:
METRO MORNING WITH ISMAILA ALFA,
Jan. 12, 2022: Internationally trained nurses being sent to Ontario hospitals and long term care homes to help with Omicron surge
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-39-metro-morning
