About the NSIENN
Who We Are
Moving to another country can be daunting! At the Nova Scotia Internationally Educated Nurses Network (NSIENN), we provide peer support to ensure IENs are able to continue their nursing practice in Nova Scotia, irrespective of their country of origin.
Our scope of support includes pre-registration, post-registration, and workforce integration of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners.
We provide support through research, education, community engagement, capacity building, and advocacy.
Our History
The NSIENN was conceptualized by Damilola Iduye in 2014 as a platform for IENs to share their professional journey and provide support for each other. At the time, Damilola had only lived in Canada for two years and had faced numerous roadblocks in obtaining a nursing license. She decided to enroll in the Master of Nursing (MN) program (Health Policy Stream) at Dalhousie School of Nursing while still processing her nursing registration.
Motivated by the challenges she faced in obtaining her nursing license, she created the Nova Scotia Internationally Educated Nurses Interest Group on Facebook to foster a sense of community for IENs. This initiative was also informed by the findings of the literature review and IEN interviews she conducted as part of her MN practicum with the Nova Scotia IEN Multi-Stakeholder Workgroup in 2014/2015. As a transformational leader, Damilola mobilized other IENs to join the leadership team. Collectively, the NSIENN leaders have contributed immensely to the furtherance of the organization.
Today, the NSIENN is a registered non-profit organization with over 1,200 members on Facebook.
Our Vision
A thriving community of IENs who are successfully integrated into the Nova Scotia healthcare workforces and are making impactful contributions in providing care to Nova Scotia’s diverse population.
Our primary objective is to support IENs, who have made Nova Scotia their home or are planning to come to Nova Scotia, through their professional transition journey.
Our Mission
- To support IENs through their professional integration journey in Nova Scotia
- To inspire and mentor IENs to be leaders, change agents, and advocates in their respective practice areas
- To partner with key organizations in addressing systemic barriers facing IENs in Nova Scotia
- To foster a sense of community for IENs in Nova Scotia
