The African sector to recruit 1000 nurses

It’s been our hardest yearrecalls the director general of the cégep, Marie-Claude Deschênes.: there is nothing profitable in keeping a four-student program […] with five, six teachers.”,”text”:”Four female students were enrolled in the program, so do the math: there’s nothing profitable regarding keeping a four-student program […] with five, six teachers.”}}”>Four female students were enrolled in the program, so do the math: there’s nothing profitable regarding keeping a four-student program […] with five, six teachers.

After discussions with the Ministry of Education, hospitals in the region and citizen groups, the CEGEP’s board of directors authorized the continuation of the program.

We decided to promote the nursing profession in the region […] and attract international studentsexplains Ms. Deschênes.

Marie-Claude Deschênes, director general of Cégep de La Pocatière.

Photo : Radio-Canada

French-speaking Africa was favored rather than France.

« We have made partnerships, especially in Cameroon. These people were ready to immigrate here, to stay working in the region, it was an advantage. »

— A quote from Marie-Claude Deschênes, director general of Cégep de La Pocatière

Today, the nursing program has 59 students, seven of whom are recruited internationally.

As data from the Fédération des cégeps point out, college nursing succession remains a challenge. The number of female students enrolled in DEC in nursing sciences in Quebec has decreased from 1765 in 2010 to less than 1500 in 2020.

The Quebec government announced last year an investment of $65 million to recruit more than 1,000 nurses from abroad. Reinforcements are beginning to arrive: a blessing for hospitals and nursing programs, which would be forced to close for lack of relief. Reporting by Davide Gentile

$65,000 per student

The approach developed by La Pocatière is part of a favorable context when Quebec launched, a year ago, a program involving the province’s CEGEPs with a view to eventually recruiting 1,000 nurses internationally.

Unveiled by Ministers Jean Boulet and Christian Dubé, it aims to accelerate the recognition of skills for French-speaking candidates who have comparable work experience […] and nursing training similar to that offered in Quebec.

This is what allows, for example, the Bas-Saint-Laurent to welcome around thirty international students since the fall.

Quebec pays the tuition fees and pays a weekly allowance of $500 to the students.

Planned envelope: $65 million over two years.

Since the fall 2022 semester, nearly 500 students have been enrolled in refresher training in CEGEPs in a dozen regions, including Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean.

Cameroonian nursing students at Cégep de Chicoutimi.

Photo : Radio-Canada

In Cameroon, we heard a lot regarding the nursing profession in Quebec, that it is a profession so valued in Quebecexplain Amelie Leticia Kwebou Tchasseum.

Training in Cameroon is good, but followingwards, we don’t always have a job that allows us to be stable in life.she adds.

During our visit to Cégep de Chicoutimi, other students from Cameroon recounted how Quebec and Canada have a good reputation.

Yes, it’s talked regarding in the media all the time, but to tell the truth, for me, it was a dreamsays Landrine Gymfat Teufac Tobie. I always told my father that I would go to Quebec one day, I would go to Canada one day.

The much publicized work overload does not scare student Danielle Constantine Foning Maffo.

« The worry regarding the workload was not because we also have a huge workload, we had one nurse for at least 15 patients with us. »

— A quote from Danielle Constantine Foning Maffo

Danielle Constantine Foning Maffo, nursing student, Cégep de Chicoutimi.

Photo : Radio-Canada

In less than 12 months, most will have completed their training and internship. What I really learn is the manipulation of the devices which are not the same, the scoring techniques are not the same following having administered the careremarks Ms. Foning Maffo.

In total, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean health network expects to hire around 25 candidates from the program in the coming year.

It takes a lot for the integration and adaptation of this world, so we prefer to go in small doses and the results are conclusive.says the senior adviser in workforce planning at the CIUSSSDominique Gagnon.

Dominique Gagnon, senior advisor in workforce planning at the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Photo : Radio-Canada

A small dose that might grow.

In terms of demography, the region has a problem […] we have no choice but to turn to immigration, it is one of the meansmaintains Mr. Gagnon. It’s not the only way, but one of the ways out.

Not to mention the survival of college education programs in the regions.

It is the international clientele that allows us to continue to offer our programs, to have enough students to allow us to give our coursesrecognizes Sébastien Renaud, director of continuing education, Cégep de Chicoutimi.

Montreal, not before 2024

According to the plans of the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Montreal will get a share of the cohorts during the last phase of the program which extends until the winter of 2024.

candidates […] in the Montreal and Quebec regions”,”text”:”The goal is to have 389 candidates […] in the regions of Montreal and Quebec””>The objective is to have 389 candidates […] in the regions of Montreal and Quebecwe write.

For the President of the Syndicate of healthcare professionals of the East-of-the-island-of-Montreal, Denis Cloutier, the target for Montreal and the delay is absolutely not justified.

« In my opinion, we are really faced with an objective of the Department of Immigration, which wishes to see more immigrants settle in the regions without really taking into account the needs of establishments in the health network. »

— A quote from Denis Cloutier, President of the Union of Care Professionals of the East-of-the-Island of Montreal

Just recently, a report noted the glaring lack of nurses in the east end of Montreal, where 29% of the island’s population lives.

Of all the health establishments in Quebec, the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal is the one whose hopes of recruitment abroad are the highest in order to curb the shortage of nurses from which its hospitals and CHSLDs.

A mandate to recruit 565 nurses was given by the establishment to the Ministry of Health. For Denis Cloutier, of the Union of Care Professionals of the East-of-the-Island of Montreal, the system of recognition of foreign diplomas for nurses might be improved.

According to him, the ideal model remains the France-Quebec agreement which involves automatic recognition of French diplomas, while the program involves an evaluation of each file, even if the academic paths have already been evaluated.