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¤ Internationally Educated Nurses

Welcome!

Please Note: There has been an increase in applications from Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs): 97 applications in 2011-12 and 197 applications in 2010-11, for a total of 294 applications, compared to a total of 264 application forms from 2005-2010. A total of 253 applications were assessed to be eligible to receive an interim license (IL). IENs request an IL upon obtaining nursing employment in the province. In 2011-12, 33 IENs requested an interim license, and 21 moved to full registration and licensure as practicing members (ARNNL Annual Report 2011-12). Click here to review IEN registration statistics.

At the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador (ARNNL), we are committed to ensuring the process of registration for international applicants is efficient and can be completed with relative ease.

To obtain a license to practice nursing in Newfoundland and Labrador, nurses who graduated outside of Canada and have never been registered in Canada are required to submit an application to have their eligibility for registration and licensure assessed.

All nurses who wish to practice nursing in Newfoundland and Labrador must obtain an interim license or a license to practice from the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland & Labrador (ARNNL) before commencing employment, which includes orientation.

ARNNL now has a Competency Based Assessment (CBA) process, also referred to as Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC) assessment.  If ARNNL is unable to determine that an applicant's education program prepared them to meet the entry level competencies they may be referred for a CBA.  If an applicant has been referred for a CBA/SEC in another jurisdiction/province it is likely they will be referred for a CBA in Newfoundland & Labrador.

All IEN applicants who have been granted an Interim License with ARNNL are required to work for a minimum of 400 hours with a Newfoundland & Labrador employer and receive a satisfactory employer reference before ARNNL will recommend them to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE).The purpose of this reference is to confirm that the applicant has the competencies required by ARNNL for entry-level practice and that the applicant practices in accordance with the ARNNL Standards of Practice and the Canadian Nurses’ Association’s Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses. An IEN may work for more than 400 hours if additional time will be beneficial in achieving a satisfactory reference. However, within eight (8) months from the date the Interim License was issued, the IEN must have achieved a satisfactory reference and successfully passed the CRNE.

Graduates of specialized programs (e.g., psychiatry/mental health, pediatrics, midwifery) are not eligible for registration unless they also have general nursing preparation that includes theoretical and clinical experience in nursing practice with adults, children, women and childbearing families, psychiatric and mental health nursing, and (for graduates after January 1, 2000) community health nursing.

Interim licenses are issued in accordance with the ARNNL By-laws and a practicing license must be renewed by March 31 of each year.

Effective August 1, 2011, the minimum scores required on English language tests will change, and ARNNL will no longer accept MELAB, TOEIC plus TSE or TOEFL (paper-based). Applicants are advised not to submit an application to ARNNL until you have confirmed that your test results meet the minimum scores required. Refer to the application package to obtain directions regarding how to submit test results to ARNNL.

Click here to access the requirements for registration.

Director of Regulatory Services
709-753-6040
ien@arnnl.ca

*NEW! Online Learning Modules Available
Mentorship: Nurses Mentoring Nurses, a new online learning module for mentors and mentees, is the latest to join a host of RN practice support modules on the Practice NL website to support integration of your nursing practice in the Canadian context. To date, six modules are available:

  • Medication Administration - New
  • Scope of Practice - New
  • Jurisprudence: The Legislation and rules governing the practice of nursing in Newfoundland & Labrador - New
  • Appreciating Diversity in the Workplace
  • Canadian Health Care System
  • Communications in Nursing
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Mentorship:  Nurses Mentoring Nurses
  • The Nursing Process: A Framework for Nursing Care

Click here to access the modules above.

In addition, information on preparing for the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) is available here.