When CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) opened its doors 25 years ago, health care employers were at the founders’ table. St. Michael’s Hospital and Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care joined settlement organizations, nursing educators and professional associations to form the steering committee. All were aware that, after receiving their assessment from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), many IENs lacked additional direction and individual support in re-establishing their nursing careers.
“Completing regulatory requirements as quickly as possible and gaining nursing employment are foremost in IENs’ minds even before arriving in Canada,” says Rola El Moubadder, Executive Director of CARE Centre. “Connecting them to employers at the outset, through mentoring and non-regulated roles, has been key to smoothly transitioning IENs to nursing positions and full scope of practice. Our employer partners are committed to supporting IENs’ full integration, respecting their previous experience in other parts of the world.”
CARE Centre has dozens of employer partners in Ontario and, after receiving funding to support IENs across the country, is expanding that network. “We have employer partners in Ontario that have a national presence in providing community and long-term care, so we are leveraging those relationships to assist IENs in every province and territory,” says Meghan Wankel, Program Manager of CARE Centre’s Pre-Arrival and Post-Arrival Supports and Services (PASS) program which is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), now in its 10th year of service.
IENs make up about 12 percent of the nursing workforce across Canada; in Ontario, they comprise 13 percent of the nursing workforce. Nurses are the largest employee group in health care at 48.2 percent. The CNO recently reported that gains in the provincial nursing supply are increasingly being driven by IENs. Over the last few years, the total number of newly registered IENs has risen dramatically, growing from 1,565 in 2019 to 5,491 in 2023. In addition, for the first time as of 2023, the number of new internationally educated RNs becoming registered (3,940) surpassed the number of new Ontario RNs (3,790).
Employers have been involved with CARE Centre’s mentoring programs for many years, providing both in-person placements and virtual connections. “These mentoring opportunities are key to building a professional network along with IENs’ resumes,” says El Moubadder. “Some of our employer partners, like Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, expand on their support to IENs with custom workshop offerings and their own highly developed IEN orientation program.”
In 2025, Sunnybrook was the first to receive the IEN Employer of the Year Award from Partners in the Integration and Education of IENs (PIE-IEN), which provides a national platform for those involved with furthering the IEN cause in Canada. CARE Centre received the employer award in April 2026. PIE-IEN’s 2026 Kathryn Allen Award was presented to Dr. Ruth Lee, CARE Centre’s outgoing Executive Director, for her career-long support of IENs.
“This award is a reminder of the essential role we play in shaping the future of our health-care system,” says Tracey DasGupta, Sunnybrook’s Director of Interprofessional Practice. “I’m incredibly proud of the programs we have implemented to support IENs and help them reach their full potential.” Sunnybrook’s Internationally Educated Nurse Career Pathway program offers supports to IENs at every stage of their transition into the Canadian health-care system, supporting over 378 IENs to date.
“Sunnybrook is a shining example of how employers can actively engage with IENs even while they are still in the registration process,” says Bessie Nasiopoulos, CARE Centre Case Manager and Professional Development Lead. “Sunnybrook regularly presents a health assessment workshop to our members, which can introduce participants to employment opportunities with Sunnybrook. As an IEN myself and someone who not only began my journey as a CARE Centre member, but also built and advanced my career at Sunnybrook, I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful these connections can be.”
Giana Fernander is an IEN from the Bahamas who started her registration process pre-arrival through CARE Centre’s IRCC-funded PASS program. After completing PASS, Giana transitioned to CARE Centre’s Ontario government-funded program (Supports, Training and Access to Regulated-employment Services, or STARS) and joined Sunnybrook through the Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) program. The NGG is an Ontario Ministry of Health-funded program that supports newly graduated nurses through a transition period that provides mentorship, orientation, and practice integration to help them build confidence and enter the workforce safely and successfully.
“Sunnybrook was always my employer of choice, and after I took their health assessment workshop through CARE Centre, I made important contacts to follow up with my NGG application,” says Fernander. “Sunnybrook recognizes the value of IENs and is ready to give them opportunities. They proactively welcome IENs and that makes them a stand-out employer.”
Sunnybrook also participates in the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP), a program administered by the CNO and Ontario Health, which allows IENs to complete a clinical placement to update their currency of practice. They also participate in CARE Centre’s annual Joan Lesmond IEN of the Year Awards, with two of their staff RNs receiving the award over the years. Multiple employers have hosted presentation ceremonies for their IENs of the Year, a further example of Ontario employers’ interest in supporting IENs to career success.
CARE Centre will present special webinars and events during National Nursing Week and throughout 2026. For more information, please visit the website at www.care4nurses.org.