N.S. receives flood of foreign nursing applications after policy change

Sue Smith is the CEO and registrar at Nova Scotia College of Nursing. (Jean Laroche/CBC - image credit)The Nova Scotia College of Nursing has received a flood of applications since opening up a fast-track process for nurses from other countries and other parts of Canada. The policy came into effect on March 29 for nurses from other parts of Canada and May 1 for nurses from the seven eligible countries. The seven countries were identified based on "much analysis of how nurses are educated," Smith said, including whether they're taught in English. Story continuesJanet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union, told CBC when the policy was announced in March that improved working conditions and reasonable hours were also key to retaining newly registered nurses.