Internationally Educated Health Professionals Project (IEHP) PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada

Internationally Educated Health Professionals Project (IEHP) PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada

What is the IEHP Project? A Health Canada funded initiative to address the First Ministers commitment to decrease wait times across Canada The PEI project has been underway since January 2007. It has benefitted from similar initiatives in other Atlantic Provinces

Working Together The project coordinator maintains communication and collaborative partnerships with over 20 health care-related groups and contacts These partnerships are essential to enable the PEI ANC to offer IEHPs relevant and upto-date information, and ensures that others in the health field are aware of the supports the project offers to IEHPs in PEI

Collaborative Partnerships Provincial Coordinator for Health Canada PEI Department of Health IEHP Atlantic Connection Regulatory Bodies & Professional Associations PEI Health Sector Council PEI Provincial Physician Recruiter PEI Health Research Institute PEI Public Service Commission Dean of Nursing - UPEI Robertson Library UPEI CIR Evangeline Acadian Settlement Service Agency LPN Program Coordinator - Holland College Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino UPEI Metropolitan Immigrant Serving Association (MISA) Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre (HILC) Registered Nurses Professional Development Centre (RN PDC) Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Other community and health care related organizations

Promoting the IEHP Project on PEI Another early step essential to the success of the project was the promotion of the IEHP project locally among stakeholders, IEHPs and the general public.

Promoting the IEHP Project on PEI Presentations were delivered at the: Health Human Resources Forum Public Service Commission: Forum on Diversity Association of Sector Councils Meeting of the Population Network Articles and interviews appeared in: Employment Journey (2 articles) Article in Quoi de neuf? and Holland College Journal Radio interviews on CBC Mainstreet, Island Morning and Radio International Television interview on CBC Compass

Who are our clients? The number of IEHPs who have come forward for services has far surpassed original expectations. Currently, there are 54 IEHPs registered for services at the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada (PEI ANC). There have been a total of 63 IEHPs who have participated in the project since its inception in January 2007

What are the professional backgrounds of IEHPs in PEI? General Practice Physician 13 Radiologist 4 ObGyn 3 Surgeon 1 Cardiologist 1 ENT Specialist 1 Pediatrician 1 Nurse 15 Midwife 1 Nurses Aide / RCW 2 Dentist 4 Social Worker 1 Medical Lab Tech 1 Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors / Naturopaths Physiotherapist 2 Emergency Medical Technician 1 TOTAL IEHPs CURRENTLY REGISTERED FOR SERVICES 3 54

What are some of the services we offer to IEHPs? One-on-one career counselling Help with credential recognition Advocacy and support throughout the licensure process ESL classes to help with English Health and Medical Terminology and patient healthcare provider Communication Level I and Level II Assistance with applications for exams and residency Programs A lending resource library of study guides for many of the national examinations A group class focusing on an Orientation to the Canadian/PEI healthcare System is being developed for delivery in the summer of 2008

One-on-One Approach Due to the limited number of IEHPs that are living on PEI it was important for us to take a very individualized approach when dealing with client needs, given that PEI does not have sufficient target populations to develop career specific classes or workshops Therefore, the assistance IEHPs receive at the PEI ANC is very individualized to his/her path to licensure

Individual Career Counselling Over the last 14 months of the IEHP Project there were 346 individual career specific counselling sessions provided to IEHPs at the PEI ANC

Client Success Stories: 2 IEHPs have found employment in their field 11 clients have found employment in the health field, though not necessarily in their field of study. 16 clients are registered to take Medical Council of Canada examinations 4 clients have been accepted into their training/bridging program. 5 clients are currently involved in volunteer job shadow placements

English for the Health Professions In the healthcare field, language is so important. Lack of language skills and not understanding the nuances of how we communicate in Canada is a barrier preventing IEHPs from integrating successfully into the workforce. Learning English terminology and vocabulary can be a difficult challenge in itself, but learning about our healthcare culture in Canada is yet another step. Non-verbal communication, bedside manner, how to communicate a diagnosis, and even how we communicate with our colleagues are just some of the areas that can be very different in Canada.

English for the Health Professions By borrowing from established curriculums being utilized in Halifax and Ontario and adapting them to the unique needs of IEHPs on PEI, the PEI ANC has developed two courses to assist clients to overcome this cultural, linguistic and professional barrier The courses are each 80 hour multi-disciplinary language courses delivered over 16 consecutive Saturdays. The feedback from IEHPs participating in the course speak to the value of this program.

Participant Feedback English for the Health Professions I have learned new skills in active communication involving people from different backgrounds and cultures. Also, I have reviewed basic skills in human communication that I haven t practiced for a long time ~ English for the Health Professions Class Participant (Social Worker) I have enjoyed this class.. I have chances to talk and show my ideas. And I also have time to listen to classmates opinions. We can share something with each other.. From the essays and class material, I learned many things which are very useful for me if I would like to be a doctor in Canada. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to study here. I believe that I will reach my goal after I finish this course. ~ English for the Health Professions Class Participant (Physician Specialist)

Participant Feedback What I have enjoyed about this class is that it creates a nice atmosphere: it is relaxed, informal, yet structured and focused it allows us to think about our communication skills as much more than words in the language but as a whole cultural block. ~ English for the Health Professions Class Participant (Nurse)

English for the Health Professions 13 IEHPs successfully completed the English for the Health Professions Level I Program 17 IEHPs are registered to take the English for the Health Professions Level II starting April 5, 2008

Filling the Gaps The Microcredit Project When looking at services that are currently being offered to IEHPs in Atlantic Canada it became apparent that there are still gaps one of which being the lack of financial assistance for IEHPs For IEHPs the cost of pursuing licensure is often very high and many IEHPs must work long hours at survival jobs, or sometimes 2 or 3 part-time jobs, in order to pay for their exams and to provide basic necessities for themselves and their families these long hours mean that they are left with less time and energy to study for their exams.

The Microcredit Project New immigrants often do not have a Canadian credit rating and therefore cannot borrow money from traditional lending sources. For some it is a barrier they cannot overcome on their own. Lack of resources for these IEHPs means they will not be able to take important exams, training programs, or finance expensive application fees.

The Microcredit Project The PEIANC has received funding from Health Canada to hire a Microcredit Project worker to help develop an Atlantic framework for a microcredit project aimed at IEHPs. This is an exciting new initiative we hope will develop a framework that can be implemented regionally to benefit IEHPs obtain licensure

IMG Support / Study Group A group of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) have participating in the IEHP project have recently formed a support and study group to help each other through the daunting task of pursuing medical licensure. PEI ANC staff are working together with IEHPs in this group, offering study resources and practice exams that will help them achieve their goals.

Looking to the Future for IEHPs on PEI It has been an exciting 14 months for the IEHP project. Much of the ground work has been laid, and the many successes of our clients continues to be a powerful motivator for continuation. The PEI ANC will continue to liaison with our regional counterparts to see how we can further expand and enhance the current services being offered to IEHPs on PEI and look to addressing future gaps as they are uncovered.