Submitted by the Province of Manitoba
The province has issued a ministerial order that enables professional nursing colleges to modify their criteria to allow licensed nurses from other provinces and retired nurses to work in Manitoba, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced Dec. 4.
“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we put the focus on getting as many qualified health-care professionals as possible into the workforce to help protect Manitobans,” said Friesen. “By enacting temporary changes to nursing registration requirements, nurses from other provinces and retired nurses will be able to get licensed more quickly in Manitoba.”
The minister discussed with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba and College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba that licensed nurses from other provinces and former members of each respective college, who are typically retired nurses, may now be eligible to work in Manitoba during this emergency, provided they can meet the modified criteria for registration.
“Through effective collaboration between our partners in government and in nursing regulation, our goal is to be responsive to the needs created by the pandemic, while ensuring public safety,” said Jennifer Breton, executive director, College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM). “These changes allow the CLPNM to efficiently license qualified former licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and LPNs registered in other jurisdictions to join Manitoba’s nursing workforce in a timely and efficient manner.”
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked closely with the ministry, our nursing regulatory colleagues and health system leaders, and have implemented timely processes for registration of safe, qualified registered nurses to support the pandemic response in our province,” said Katherine Stansfield, CEO/registrar, College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba. “These changes allow us to continue that important work in service of the public interest.”
“This ministerial order enables the expedited temporary registration of qualified registered psychiatric nurses to assist with dealing with the threats of COVID-19 in our communities,” said Laura Panteluk, executive director/registrar, College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba. “We are committed to continuing to work with all of our partners in the health system on this important issue and to assist in Manitoba’s pandemic response.”
The colleges must be satisfied the individual is able to practice competently. These measures are in place for at least six months to ensure nursing resources are available in the immediate future, the minister noted.
“We welcome and appreciate any nurses who respond to this call to lend a helping hand to care for Manitobans during this pandemic,” said Friesen. “We have the strictest measures of any province in place to fight the spread of COVID-19. Adding extra capacity to our health-care system to care for those who need it is another way our government is protecting the health and safety of Manitobans.”
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.
For up-to-date information on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit:
https://manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/index.html.
