English as a Second Language
Requirements to become a Registered Nurse in Canada

If you have english as a second language and you want to become a registered nurse in Canada, your english language learning must go beyond the understanding of medical words.

You must be able to competently read, write, speak, and listen to clients and colleagues in your role as a registered nurse in the Canadian health care system.

If you are an internationally educated registered nurse, English may not be the second language you learned but actually the third, fourth, or even the fifth language you have learned.

Obviously it would be more appropriate to use the phrase, english as an additional language. However, the term english as a second language (ESL) still persists.

Many of the provincial regulatory nursing organizations now require CELBAN for a test of english language proficiency.

What is CELBAN?

CELBAN stands for the Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nursing. It is a new language assessment established to assess english proficiency in the context of the nursing profession. The CELBAN goes beyond testing just the vocabulary of medical words and addresses speaking, listening, and reading in the context of Canadian health care system.

You will be presented with various written forms and charts and graphs in order to test your reading ability in English, and you will be tested on your speaking ability such as giving reports or making telephone calls to physicians, pharmacists, and families.

Writing ability in English is tested by creating written reports from verbal or written instructions, filling out forms and summarizing in point form.

If you are a registered nurse with english as a second language the CELBAN will assess whether or not you can comprehend taped reports, verbal instructions, and therapeutic interactions with clients and families.

Your english language learning must meet all these requirements as they are all considered essential for competent and ethical nursing practice in the role of a registered nurse in the Canadian health care system.

Why is it important to learn the English language beyond just medical words?

If you are an internationally educated nurse (IEN) and are still improving your skill in the english language, learning just the medical words will not be enough to be competent in the workplace or even pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam.

In fact it will likely not be the medical words that prove confounding to you, but rather the everyday language of communication with your patients, their families, and your colleagues.

English is the language that is used in all health care settings (except Quebec) and English proficiency is required in order to obtain a nursing license.

All provinces require proof of english language learning proficiency before you can become licensed as a registered nurse. Some provinces like British Columbia will require this proof before they will process your application. Other provinces allow you to apply and then work on your english language learning as your application is reviewed.

These links will take you directly to the English language proficiency requirements for registration in each province.