Yes.
We felt that they would be a good fit because the exam is offered in English and French and the resources are offered in English and French. However, there are some legislative barriers, and because they're in transition, they're not able to assist us at this time. Perhaps there is some opportunity in the future, but not for the next three years.
The impact of the results of the exam is serious in New Brunswick. Many of our French graduates have had to do multiple writings to attain a passing grade. That places a significant economic burden on many of them. There are few French-language resources available that compare to those commercially produced by the current exam provider.
Our French health region is concerned about a future French language nursing force. We know that this year there are 12 nursing graduates who, unless they pass the exam by the end of this month, will no longer be able to contribute to nursing care in the northern part of our province. We are very concerned.
The Nurses Association of New Brunswick believes in measuring nursing graduate knowledge and skills to assure safe, competent, and ethical care. This is our mandate. However, we are troubled by the impact of this new exam in Canada, especially in New Brunswick.
Therefore, in conclusion, NANB has three requests for the committee.
First, we request that the committee offer recommendation and support for immediate availability of French-language study resources by the exam provider. We have been making this request for two years.