Some internationally educated nurses in British Columbia said the language proficiency requirement to become a registered nurse is an unnecessary barrier forcing them to give up their career and look for other jobs. Amid the strain of the pandemic on other nurses, they say they feel frustrated and unable to help. Many internationally educated nurses immigrated to Canada almost a decade ago with hopes of continuing to work in their profession. However, after multiple attempts at passing the English proficiency exam, they had to make the difficult decision to switch careers. Multiple nurses are unable to score above the IELTS requirements for nurses and give up after multiple attempts.
Immigrant nurses in BC say language proficiency tests are a barrier to practising
