Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in late November, I received the letter from the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding my concerns about the licensing of nurses here in the North. And basically, the letter comes back and says status quo is the way we go. My question is is what's stopping the Minister for providing direction to the association saying we're making it part of our funding agreement that we find an easier way to register foreign nurses who are qualified in Ontario, Alberta, but the gatekeeper process here refuses to let them join the service that we're in dire need of help? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of work that's going on right now with the joint nursing -- it's CAN, it's the health authorities. They're all working toward right now of trying to figure out who in the Northwest Territories that they can -- like, who is here in the Northwest Territories right now that are potentially, you know, still within that licensing time, what needs do they have, and so that work is going to go out and to survey those nurses.
As for the overall picture in the -- you know, bringing in international nurses into the Northwest Territories, we are not Ontario and we are not Alberta, and we cannot support those nurses coming into the system. I've talked to my counterparts. I've recently was just in Halifax meeting with other FPTs and territorial and provincial provinces, and the work that they have to do to support the nurses coming in and, you know, and increasing support training, we have to do that right now. And Stanton and Inuvik are the only two hospitals, and then there's Fort Smith and Hay River, and we're trying to support the nurses that are going through the LPN program, the RN program, new grads coming out of the school. We're -- you know, so we -- our nurses have already told us that they cannot do this and work and do their job. So we are looking at options as how we can support the nurses, the international educated nurses that we currently have that are in the Northwest Territories. I'll leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why don't we start with the objective of saying yes, we will find a way as opposed to no we can't do this. Mr. Speaker, Alberta finds a way. Ontario find a way. And even in BC, they have a check-in process where they monitor someone's international skills to ensure they're on pair -- on par, sorry. That said, we can make all the excuses in the world why we can't do something. Let's try an unusual one by saying how we are going to commit to doing something. So, Mr. Speaker, I prefer local nurses here. Would the Minister say or find a way to find a solution to this and provide direction and support through her department to the CAN folks, the nurses association, etcetera. Can she try -- let's try to do something as oppose -- (audio).
(audio). Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this -- since I've been the Minister, I think is the farthest that we've gone forward on trying to making sure that we're looking at a new way of trying to support those international education nurses that are here, that have been going to our MLAs, that have been saying, you know, I've been trained. And it is looking outside the box. It is working with BC. We have CAN right now working with BC trying to look at the system that they're using that they are collaborating with the Yukon right now to assess those skills, and that's what we are doing right now. So all that work is happening right now. So it is live. And when I do have more fulsome information to be able to share, I will make sure that I share it with all the MLAs. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I heard a long time ago somebody say do or do not; there is no try. So why don't we commit to doing something. We could waive the hours through some form or regulations. It's not as simple as that; I understand that. But that said, we have very smart, capable people. Would the Minister investigate the process opportunity of waiving those hours and restrictions required by the gatekeepers, our northern nursing association, that would allow these people to practice. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are trying. That is what we are doing. We are looking at the different routes. And there are -- you know, and what we're now finding out is that educations in other countries have changed, and so, you know, by going through and doing the assessment, doing the English assessment, and using BC's model, that's what we're trying to work with right now. And so I would not commit to removing hours if that would put, you know, people at risk. I'm not saying that they're going to be at risk, but what I am saying is that we have people in these roles and we have regulatory bodies in place for a reason, and so they are working to try to make this as easy a process as possible so that international educated nurses can work in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
