B.C. will pay fees, fund schooling upgrades to get more nurses working

January 10, 2023

The British Columbia government will pay fees for international nurses and help finance former nurses who want to return to health care in a push to get more workers into the system.

Premier David Eby told a news conference Monday that the province will also spend $1.3 million to set up a new pathway for internationally trained nurses and assess applications faster.

Candidates are waiting up to three years now, but he said the government’s goal is to cut that wait down to between four and nine months.

The changes mean internationally educated nurses will no longer be required to pay application and assessment fees upfront, which can be over $3,700.

Jennie Arceno, an internationally trained nurse from the Philippines, said it took her three years to obtain her B.C. registered nursing licence, a process that cost about $40,000 in assessment, registration and tuition fees.

She said she hopes the new process means the pathway will be easier and faster for others.

Source: Vancouver Sun