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.
English as a Second Language and the Registered Nurse in Canada
Many Canadians have English as a second language there is a significant percentage of people in Canada, both within and without the
province of Quebec, who speak little if any english at all.
Language issues are always a concern in health care because it is not possible for a patient
to give an informed consent if they
do not fully understand the risks and benefits of the procedures they are consenting to.
In many settings in the Canadian health care system you will find staff and patients who speak a variety of
languages as the Canadian population is quite diverse especially in the urban areas of Toronto and Vancouver.
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.
The Registered Nurses Association of Northwest Territories and Nunavut accept applicants with English as a second language if they
have already met the criteria for registration in another province.
No specific English proficiency benchmarks are specified except that registrant must be fluent in the
English language.
Yukon Territory
There is no specific English proficiency tests.
The regulations of the Registered Nurses
Profession Act (1993)in the Yukon states that an
applicant who does not have English as a native language must provide satisfactory evidence of english language proficiency required
to practice as a registered nurse.
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Go back to the table of English second language requirements for nursing registration in Canada.
