37 internationally trained nurses ready to join the P.E.I. health-care system

Hemat Elgendy says she came to Canada from overseas last June to achieve her dreams.

One of those dreams came true Tuesday when she officially became a registered nurse on P.E.I. She was one of 34 graduates from the Transition to Registered Nursing in Canada (TRNC), which gives internationally educated nurses the essential education, skills and training required to practise in Canada.

"I feel very happy and this is a major step in my life," she said. 

"My thoughts I'm feeling is kind of like, 'This is not to be the end, and I hope I can do more. And I hope that I can achieve all my dreams in Canada.'"

Elgendy worked for 16 years as a nurse in a surgical unit in Egypt. She hopes to work in a similar role on P.E.I.

Since May 2024, the 14-week TRNC program has been a key initiative in helping internationally trained nurses integrate into the P.E.I. health-care system, said Health Minister Mark McLane.

To date, four of seven planned intakes for 2024 have been completed, with 34 graduates and an additional 21 learners currently progressing through various stages, receiving tailored education in Canadian nursing practices, regulations and patient care standards.

For those nurses who can't take the accelerated pathway for licensing through the TRNC program, the RN Bridging Program is an alternative for internationally educated nurses needing additional training to meet Canadian standards.

Three people have graduated from the RN Bridging Program, with the the next intake beginning Jan. 6.

McLane said the graduates will help address the nursing shortage on P.E.I.

"These nurses have been trained in other countries, so they have the basis of training for nursing," McLane said. 

"For them to come to Canada, for them to be required to take the course again does not make a lot of sense obviously financially and from a time perspective. So we want to integrate them into the system. That's what these programs do." 

There were graduates from at least seven countries among the 37 new nurses Tuesday, including Tracy Hsieh, who plans to work at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague.

"The program is wonderful," said Hsieh. "It can be challenging, but I feel like it's really a great transition to help me to understand Canadian nursing and all the policy regulations and also be very culturally competent."