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The University of New Brunswick (UNB) continues to find unique ways to address the province-wide nursing shortage and work toward growing New Brunswick’s population. UNB recently partnered with Horizon Health Network, the Nurses Association of New Brunswick (NANB), the Department of Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour (PETL) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), located in Udupi, India, to bring more trained registered nurses to the province.

The program will work to reduce the barriers for Registered Nurses (RN) educated in India to seek employment in New Brunswick. It follows a comparable curriculum and supports writing of the NCLEX-RN licensure while students study in their home country.

“Doing what we can to aid the nursing shortage and the strain on our healthcare system in Atlantic Canada is important for UNB,” said, Dr. Paul J. Mazerolle, president and vice-chancellor at UNB. “This partnership demonstrates our ability to think outside of the box and find global solutions to support societal challenges facing our home province.”

The faculty of nursing at UNB’s Fredericton and Moncton campuses and MAHE’s Manipal College of Nursing co-created the dual degree program, MAHE-UNB Dual Degree in Nursing. The Indian Nursing Council approved the addition of 25 seats to the Manipal College of Nursing as a separate cohort. These students have begun their studies and will join UNB’s students this month.

“This innovative partnership supports access and efficiency of high-quality nursing education across international borders,” says Lt. Gen. Dr. M D Venkatesh, vice-chanellor at MAHE “Additionally, this program reduces barriers for Manipal graduates to apply directly to NANB, significantly reducing the financial burden by removing screening processes and expediates recruitment by the New Brunswick health sector. We are thrilled to bring this exciting opportunity to our students.”

This model for nursing education allows students in their home country to learn collaboratively with students from the host country, where graduates will practice as RNs.

Graduates of the program are qualified for licensure in New Brunswick and will not experience a reduction of skill level for their profession when relocating. They will hold a Canadian degree with credentials for employers, such as regional health authorities, to recruit directly upon graduation.

“Horizon is committed to addressing staffing challenges to strengthen the organization for future success. This includes partnering with organizations to hire and recruit internationally trained nurses,” said Brenda Kinney, Horizon’s Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. “We look forward to welcoming these nurses into our organization once they graduate.”

The team visited MAHE and the Manipal College of Nursing facilities in June to ensure that the resources are in place to train as well as finalize the curriculum mapping and placement of additional learning modules to fulfill the requirements of both the universities.

Media contact: Kristen d’Entremont