Counting on Care: A Survey of Internationally Educated Nurses Not Working as Nurses in Ontario describes the registration status and experiences, employment situations, and skills utilization levels of over 750 Ontario-based IENs not currently working as nurses.

The report is based on a WES survey completed in fall 2023 and discusses one of the survey’s most striking findings: 50 percent of respondents had not yet begun the registration process but still planned to. An additional 6 percent did not intend to pursue registration or to re-enter the nursing profession in Ontario. Key deterrents identified include financial barriers and a lack of clarity concerning the registration process itself.

The report contributes to the understanding of the ongoing underutilization of nursing skills in Ontario, and provides new data on IENs who have not yet applied for registration. It also highlights policy implications by underscoring the need for a more streamlined registration process and a level of support that would allow more IENs to return to nursing and contribute to Ontario’s health care system.