Waiting and watching: Nurse migration trends before a change to the National Council Licensure Examination as entry to practice for Canada's nurses

Abstract

Background: A number of factors in the health care environment, including a change in regulatory policy, may affect a country's nursing workforce and nurse migration and mobility.

Purpose: This study compared the characteristics of Canadian-educated nurses who had migrated to the United States to work with their colleagues in the United States and Canada in anticipation of a change in Canada's RN entry to practice requirements in 2015.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective comparative study of nurses in Canada and the U.S. using 2008 data from the US National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses and the Canadian Institute of Health Information.

Discussion: There was little change in the number of Canadian-educated nurses working in the United States in 2008 compared with 2004. We found differences between U.S. nurses and Canadian-educated nurses working in the United States in educational level, work status, work location, and age. No differences were found between Canadian-educated nurses working in the United States and those working in Canada.

Conclusions: This research highlights the value of international comparisons of the nursing workforce, especially in the context of anticipated regulatory changes, which may affect a country's nursing health human resources.

Keywords: National Council Licensure Examination; Nurse migration; Nurse mobility; Regulation.