Amy Son gently applies bandages to a patient’s face as they chat about his excitement of returning home to see family after his hospital stay. Her job as a registered nurse in Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre is a long way from Seoul, South Korea, where Amy started her career in nursing.
Amy is just one example of an internationally educated health care worker helping to meet human health resource demands in Ontario. Sunnybrook’s Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Pathway helps to support cultural integration, language proficiency and skills development for these team members, with a dedicated group of interprofessional staff guiding and coaching those enrolled.
Nurses who have studied and are certified abroad must successfully meet requirements established by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) before working as a nurse in the province. The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership is a partnership between CNO, Ontario Health and approved organizations like Sunnybrook, offering substanial supervised practice experience, and is woven into the hospital’s unique pathway.
“Sunnybrook’s pathway is a roadmap for internationally educated nurses, leveraging their specialized skills and expertise, and enabling workforce integration in the Canadian healthcare setting. And the impact is significant, supporting career development, quality patient care and our healthcare system at a time of great need,” explains Tracey Das Gupta, Director of Interprofessional Practice at Sunnybrook.
Opportunities include providing healthcare work experience in unregulated roles, like observer and patient support provider, while at the same time covering gaps in human health resources needs. Further opportunities include expanded clinical extern roles and, ultimately, recruitment into
nursing roles.
Sunnybrook has 174 internationally educated nurses currently on the pathway, and 115 people have been hired into nursing roles at the hospital. For participants, some of the highlights include career coaching, interview preparation, mentorship and language proficiency support.
“The support of Sunnybrook has made the world of difference in my career,” says Amy, who says working at Sunnybrook was her dream job. “For me, every patient interaction is an opportunity to make a positive impact. I’m truly committed to enhancing the lives of others throughout my nursing career.”
Amy recently received the Joan Lesmond Internationally Educated Nurse of the Year Award from the CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, which is presented to a registered nurse who has overcome challenges to achieve their Ontario nursing license.
In addition to her frontline nursing role, Amy serves as a safety coordinator for the Ross Tilley Burn Centre and Tory Trauma Program, engaging in quality enhancement projects. She also participates in remote teaching to nursing students in South Korea and is an Expert Nurse Mentor for the CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses.
“In Canada, nursing unites professionals from around the world, sharing a common goal of providing high quality care to patients,” adds Amy.
