Statement Regarding Language Proficiency Requirements

UPDATE: Language cutscores updated to reflect changes announced Nov 14, 2022

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (the College) protects and serves the public interest through its regulation of the registered nursing profession. Part of our mandate includes ensuring consistent, proportionate, and transparent standards for registration in Manitoba so that all qualified applicants can establish registration in our province in an expeditious and streamlined manner. 

We are committed to working with our partners in the health system and in government to address challenges in the nursing workforce, and to a spirit and practice of continuous evaluation and innovation in how our policies, processes, and overall regulatory work support safe registered nursing practice in Manitoba. We understand that these are exceptional times and that innovative solutions are required, but our priority has always been to put patient safety first. 

Ongoing work and imminent updates to English language requirements 

An area of considerable focus for the College over the past three years has been to ensure that our language proficiency requirements are transparent, consistently applied, and accountable to public scrutiny. We are approaching the imminent implementation of a number of changes to our language proficiency policy and our processes that will continue to deliver on those principles and ensure fairness in all that we do. 

With that in mind, here is some important information on how the College assesses English language proficiency: 

Why does the College require applicants for RN registration to demonstrate English language proficiency? 

The capacity to communicate effectively with patients, family members, and other members of the health care team is an essential aspect of registered nursing practice. By requiring all applicants to demonstrate that they possess the appropriate level of English language proficiency, the College is helping to mitigate risks to the public in registered nursing practice and delivering on its statutory mandate.  

How can applicants demonstrate they meet the language proficiency requirement for registration? 

The College provides for several ways that applicants can demonstrate they meet the language proficiency requirements for RN registration. In the case of graduates of nursing education programs delivered in Canada, applicants who have completed their nursing education program in English within the past two years are automatically deemed to be proficient.  

Applicants who are outside of that 2-year period and have not yet registered as an RN are required to demonstrate language proficiency by completing the IELTS Academic English language test with the following minimum cut scores: 

• Writing:  6.5
• Speaking: 7.0
• Listening: 7.0
• Reading: 6.5
• Overall: 7.0

Note: this includes the standard error in measurement of 0.5.

Why does the College require a test after two years? 

The available evidence on language proficiency shows that it is dynamic and can improve or worsen over time. Based on an in-depth review with a language proficiency expert and testing providers, the College was able to validate that a two-year period represents an appropriate balance point to manage risk and provide applicants with the time needed to complete the registration process. 

It is noteworthy that a language test is only required if a nursing graduate has not completed the registration process within the two-year time period, which typically rests on successfully passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. The vast majority of Manitoba graduates complete the registration process within this time frame.  

How are the test scores determined? 

The College is part of a national consortium of nursing regulators that establishes a standard for language proficiency test scores based on an objective review of evidence connected to language proficiency requirements for safe nursing practice in Canada as well as the overall objectivity, reliability and validity of the language tests. 

The College, along with other RN, LPN and RPN regulators in Canada, is currently engaged in a national review of test scores and other potential methods to demonstrate language proficiency and we anticipate being able to provide further information on the results of that review in the near future. 

The College’s commitment to learning and reconciliation 

Over the past year, our staff and Council have been engaged in a learning journey including reflection and education on how registered nursing regulation can support reconciliation in Manitoba. Earlier this year on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we shared a statement outlining our commitment to a journey of learning and reconciliation.  

Though this work is just getting underway, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss the concerns raised at the press conference today that the College’s language proficiency policy is creating a biased or inequitable environment for Indigenous nursing graduates in Manitoba as part of our commitment to cultural sensitivity and humility in registered nursing regulation. 

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Martin Lussier
Manager of Communications
mlussier@crnm.mb.ca
204-789-0662