Premier David Eby put a lot of political torque on B.C.’s effort to poach U.S. nurses from Pacific coast states while delivering an update on the recruitment drive.
He landed hard on all the downsides to the Trump presidency Monday, while encouraging more nurses to flee north. The venting exercise probably eased some of his frustration at having his agenda overtaken by the president’s tariff war and takeover threats.
But it’s an open question whether U.S. nurses are going to bolt to B.C. just because their erratic president dominates all the political discourse.
Eby is “delighted” that fast-tracking credential checks has shortened registration times from four months to just a few days for U.S. nurses interested in moving to B.C.
Since the change, applications have increased by 127 per cent in the last few weeks — that’s 177 nurses. B.C. is even paying for credential checks and bridging programs.
“President Trump’s loss is British Columbia’s gain,” he crowed.
Health Minister Josie Osborne said in a statement: “With the uncertainty and chaos happening south of our border, we have an opportunity to attract the skilled health-care workers our province needs to strengthen public health care.”
That’s word-for-word the same quote issued last March when the drive began. It shows how much stress they are putting on escaping Trumpism as a lure.
The update said 1,200 health professionals in the U.S. have “expressed an interest.” That’s a loose category that includes just asking for information or signing up for a webinar.
It’s an encouraging number, but being interested is one thing. Uprooting your life and moving to a foreign country is another.
Eby said some of the factors driving increased interest include “our support for science” — he referred to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s history as an anti-vaxxer.
“We are a jurisdiction that respects reproductive rights,” he said, leaving the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning abortion rights unsaid.
As for U.S. health care, he said “it not only is not providing care to everybody who needs, it, but actively looking at reducing the amount of care.”
He said those issues are driving U.S. health workers to “want to look to work somewhere else.”
Eby also managed a swipe at the Conservative Party of B.C., saying their approach to health care has consequences when it comes to retaining staff.
Texas nurse Rachael Smith-Taylor, one of those who have shown interest, appeared via Zoom. She described a terrific visit to Nanaimo — she was there last month when hundreds of U.S. citizens swarmed the city to make friends. She said people were warm and welcoming and she was impressed by the hospital staff. “I’m actively pursuing licensure.”
But … the family logistics are “quite hairy … we have no timeline right now.”
She sounded enthusiastic but: “We have a lot to think about.”
B.C. will continue recruitment with an advertising campaign beginning shortly.
An earlier video from the campaign portrays a multi-ethnic collection of health-care workers in front of scenic backgrounds. “I wanted to come to Canada because of the universal health care system,” says one.
“We’re treated equally, even if you’re an internationally educated nurse,” said another.
A downside to the recruiting drive is that the B.C. health-care system has been in a state of crisis for years. It would take any prospective foreign nurses about three clicks in a search engine to realize that it’s not quite the paradise portrayed in the ads.
A month ago, the opposition spent the entire question period citing atrocity stories involving violence against nurses in B.C. hospitals.
The only saving grace is that issue is not unique to B.C.
There is also a pay differential of varying degrees that might give pause. And B.C. isn’t the only place head-hunting U.S. health workers. Other provinces and other jurisdictions around the world have the same idea.
Living in Trump’s world might weigh so heavily that some will move north. The upcoming argument about billions of dollars worth of cuts to the Medicaid program might draw even more.
Stressing those issues eases some of the pressure on acknowledging our own problems.
As the nurse said: there’s “a lot to think about.”
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