The Government of Yukon has modernized the Registered Nurses Profession Regulation to make it easier for more nurses to work in the territory. Effective November 3, 2024, registered nurses and nurse practitioners can apply directly in the Yukon for licences without needing to be registered in another Canadian jurisdiction first. This change also allows new graduates and internationally trained nurses – including those already here working in other fields – to apply directly to work as nurses in the territory.
The amendments to the Registered Nurses Profession Regulation also supports labour mobility by allowing the Yukon Registered Nurses Association to enter into multi-jurisdictional agreements, which are expected to make licensing simpler and faster.
These amendments demonstrate progress and align with the Government of Yukon’s Health Human Resources strategy. By modernizing the Regulations and streamlining the licensing process, the Yukon can attract and integrate skilled health professionals more effectively, meaning better access to health care for all Yukoners. With the updated legislation, nurse practitioners now have more flexibility and fewer restrictions on the types of medications they can prescribe, allowing them to better meet patients' needs.
We're making it easier for nurses and nurse practitioners to get licensed to work in the Yukon. These new steps remove barriers, helping us attract and keep skilled health-care workers here. We believe these changes will also support the dedicated nurses already caring for Yukoners across our communities.
Our government is making it easier for health professionals to work in the territory by simplifying credential recognition and removing barriers as part of our Health Human Resources Strategy. These updates to regulations will make it easier and faster for national and international health professionals to join the Yukon’s health and social services system. We look forward to welcoming more skilled professionals to our health care system and improving access to quality care for all Yukoners.
We are deeply grateful to Minsters Mostyn and McPhee for their support as YRNA seeks to modernize its legislative framework so that it may better serve its mandate of patient safety, cultural safety and public protection. The changes will allow YRNA to ensure that all persons who are able to demonstrate competence to practice, are able to get a licence in the Yukon and join their nursing colleagues who continue to answer the call and to deliver world-class healthcare in the Yukon.
The updated regulations provide much-needed updates to modernize and facilitate streams of entry to the profession. This will better enable YRNA to effectively and efficiently licence applicants from the Yukon, Canada and abroad. As importantly, the updates modernize the prescribing schedule for Nurse Practitioners, better recognizing their scope of practice and critical role they play in support of health and healthcare delivery.
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The Yukon Registered Nurses Association regulates the profession in the Yukon and requested these new licensing classes. These changes also mean they can enter into multi-jurisdictional agreements, speeding up licensing and registration for nurses in participating jurisdictions.
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Registered nurses and nurse practitioners not licensed in other jurisdictions will still be required to follow the full application process to work in the Yukon.
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The annual licence has been removed from the Act. The Registrar can now issue licences for 12 months and six months to support the new types of licences and increased mobility.
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Pathways for nurses to work in the Yukon have opened with the proclamation of the Amendment to the Registered Nurses Profession Act, which was assented to last fall.
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Amending the legislation is a key step in achieving actions 2.3 and 2.6 of the Government of Yukon’s Health Human Resources Strategy. This will improve pathways for national and internationally educated health professionals to enter Yukon’s labour force, helping to strengthen the health and social service systems and fill crucial health care roles across the territory.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications, Community Services
867-332-5513
[email protected]
Jerome Marburg
Chief Executive Officer, Yukon Registered Nurses Association
604-616-2229
[email protected]