Hamilton Health Sciences’ Internationally Educated Nurse Program

The Government of Ontario, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD), has extended funding of the Hamilton Health Sciences’ Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Integration Program for the period, October 1, 2021, until September 30th, 2024. The Project has been renamed the Hamilton Health Science’s Program.  Previously the Program has been funded since 2009-2019, by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI),  Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MCTU) and until September 30, 2021 by the MLTSD.

The Service Charter
The HHS Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Integration Program commits to providing service excellence to our participants. We support IENs with their nursing journey in Ontario by providing a case management approach, and helping IENs with the development of an individualized learning plan to meet their learning needs, thereby enhancing their communication and clinical nursing skills. Our goal is to ensure that our participants are provided with mentorship and experiences thereby making them job-ready. Once hired in a commensurate role, the IEN Integration Program continues to support their integration into the Canadian healthcare system.

Our commitment is to provide

• Respectful, knowledgeable, quality service on a timely basis
• Access to current employment and career information 
• Confidentiality
• Referral to other community resources, as needed

Client Complaint/Compliments & Resolution Process.  The HHS IEN Integration Program places a high value on service quality by encouraging and responding to client feedback within five business days. The Project Manager and Project Lead will review client feedback, attempt to address concerns and provide a solution or referral to appropriate resources. 

• Contact the HHS IEN Program at HHSIENProgram@hhsc.ca

The workforce integration program targets two groups:

• Internationally Educated Nurses who have received a letter of direction from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) to write either the RN/RPN Registration exams or who have their registration and are seeking their first nursing job in Ontario
• Internationally Educated Nurses who have passed either the RN/RPN Registration exams and have lost their evidence of practice after April 1, 2019 (Nursing Evidence of Practice Pilot (NEPP)).

The Program team developed a Community Collaboration Employment Model to bridge the gap for IEN nurses by working with Academic and Community Partners.

The Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Nurse Integration Program will help registered nurses and registered practical nurses fully integrate into Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) hospital and other healthcare organizations. The Program will provide IENs from pre-hire, through orientation, to clinical integration, a continuum of clinical (hard skill) and communication (soft skill) support including clinical assessment, clinical skills development, problem solving, improved communication skills, team relationships, professionalism, and managing conflict in a hospital setting and workplace exposure opportunities.

The program currently delivers both virtual and in-person sessions. Language communication workshops

• CARE Centre, include New Generation NCLEX – RN Exam preparation, Challenging Interactions with Colleagues, Verbal Reporting, Nursing Documentation, Health Teaching, Collecting Client/Patient Information
• Enovel Services Inc., workshops on New Generation NCLEX-RN Exam preparation
• Mohawk College Simulation, virtual and in-person, include sessions on Physical Assessment, Foley Catheterization, Medication Administration, IV Therapy, Skills Review (Nasogastric Care, Tracheostomy & IV Therapy), Basic Wound and Complex Wound Care
• Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion – Virtual Cultural Humility Sessions

The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) is a partnership program between the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), Ontario Health and CNO approved organizations. The program offers applicants the option to complete a supervised practice experience in Ontario to demonstrate current nursing knowledge, skill and judgement and language proficiency skills. Hamilton Health Sciences is participating in the program, giving applicants an opportunity to meet the following requirements to enter practice as a nurse: Evidence of Practice, or Evidence of Practice and Language Proficiency. Interested SPEP applicants are required to complete the SPEP Application Form and email the following documents to spep@hhsc.ca:

• The completed SPEP Application Form
• A screenshot of their CNO SPEP eligibility form
• A screenshot of their CNO application status
• A current resume

More information about the SPEP Program, including the eligibility requirements, is available on the CNO website at https://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/evidence-of-practice/supervised-practice-experience/overview/

This Employment Ontario program is funded by the Government of Ontario.