Newcomers Have Sustained and Enriched Nova Scotia’s Healthcare System. Getting Them to Stay Long-Term Is the Next Step.
Across Nova Scotia, hospitals and clinics are filled with the voices, faces, and expertise of healthcare workers who have come from around the world to care for us.
These professionals – doctors, nurses, and allied health practitioners – are the reason many of our hospitals remain open and our families continue to have access to care close to home.According to Nova Scotia Health, more than 30% of newly recruited doctors in 2024 came from outside Canada. Nationally, one in four healthcare workers is internationally trained.
These numbers tell a clear story: newcomers aren’t just supporting Canada’s healthcare system, they’re sustaining it, ensuring access to healthcare closer to home for rural Canadians.
But recruitment is only half the equation. The real challenge is helping these professionals and their families feel welcome, supported, and rooted enough to stay for the long-term and become part of our community.
Why do we need foreign trained doctors?
The answer to this isn’t a straightforward one. For decades, community needs have outpaced Canadian medical school graduates due to low enrolments and a shortage of residencies.
Only 5.5% of those who apply to medical school in Canada get in due to enrolment caps.
This means many Canadians go to medical school abroad and then struggle to return home as doctors due to qualification bridging challenges with international medical schools and residencies.
Add to that the complexity of the baby boom generation of doctors retiring or reducing their hours, and the shortages deepen.
While Canada is working to solve this issue systematically through changes to the residency system to support more Canadian doctors trained abroad finding a home in Canadian hospitals, this will take time, and foreign trained doctors from schools that have been found to align with Canadian medical standards fill immediate community needs once they’ve done bridge training and supervision with Nova Scotia Health.
From Recruitment to Retention
It takes a network of organizations and people to build healthcare systems that truly work for Canadian communities. In Nova Scotia, those networks are growing stronger every year.
The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) plays a crucial role in helping internationally trained healthcare professionals adapt and succeed. Through programs that range from employment readiness and language support to employer education and bystander intervention training, ISANS ensures that both newcomers and their workplaces have the tools to build respectful, inclusive relationships.
These programs don’t just prepare newcomers for the Canadian workplace, they also help employers and community members understand how to create environments where diversity can thrive. When everyone feels included, teams perform better, communication improves, and patients receive more consistent, compassionate care.
Local Leadership Making a Difference
In Digby, that spirit of connection is brought to life by Nancy Whalley, Community Navigator with Digby Area Health (DAHE). Nancy works one-on-one with healthcare workers and their families to make sure their move to Digby is a success – helping them find homes, schools for their children, and meaningful ways to connect with the community.
“People come here ready to give their best,” says Whalley. “My job is to make sure they feel that Digby wants them here, not just as professionals, but as neighbours and friends.”
It’s hands-on work that turns recruitment into retention and it’s what keeps healthcare capacity strong in small communities.
Belonging Benefits Everyone
The evidence is clear: patients do better when cared for by diverse healthcare teams. Research from the Canadian Medical Association shows that inclusivity leads to better communication, more innovation, and improved outcomes.
But perhaps the most important outcome is the one that’s hardest to measure, the feeling of belonging.
When healthcare professionals feel at home, they’re more likely to stay. And when they stay, our communities stay healthy, and our capacity to take care of one another increases.
Together for Care
Keeping Nova Scotia’s healthcare system strong means continuing to welcome, support, and celebrate the people who choose to serve here. It’s not just about filling positions, it’s about building relationships that last.
From organizations like ISANS and DAHE to everyday Nova Scotians opening their hearts and homes, everyone plays a role in shaping a healthcare system that’s not just sustainable but deeply human.
Because when they stay, so does our care.
Sources
- Nova Scotia Health (2025). Nova Scotia recruits 253 new doctors, net gain of 187.
- Statistics Canada (2023). Internationally educated health professionals in Canada’s health workforce.
- Canadian Medical Association (2023). Why diversity in health care is important.
- Canadian Medical Association (2025). Groundbreaking new report reveals Canada can’t train enough doctors and other health professionals.
- Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). Programs and Services for Employers and Newcomers.
- Digby Area Health (DAHE), 2024. Community Navigation Program – Nancy Whalley, Community Navigator.
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-turning-away-home-grown-doctors-1.6743486