CARE Centre has moved in Toronto and Peel Region
Please note that CARE Centre has relocated to three new office spaces. CARE Centre’s head office is now in the Parkdale-High Park area known as the Junction Triangle. Our new address is 128A Sterling Road, Suite 202, Toronto, ON, M6R 2B7. The access door to CARE Centre’s new location is located behind the Henderson Brewery. Other neighbours are the Drake Commissary, House of Anansi Press, and the new Museum of Contemporary Art. Did we mention the Nestlé factory that makes the whole neighbourhood smell like chocolate?
Our Brampton office at Nelson Street West has closed, and we have two new locations to serve IENs in Peel Region. CARE Centre’s new Brampton office is housed in the Regus Offices in the Brampton County Court Business Centre at 2 County Court Blvd., Suite 400. We will also see clients in a new Mississauga location (Wednesday to Friday only) in meeting space in the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care at 5510 Mavis Road.
Please note that both Peel Region locations are by appointment only. Please call 416-226-2800, ext. 221 or toll free 1-866-515-0018.
Executive Director Dr. Ruth Lee Receives RNAO Award
CARE Centre, its member IENs and all of our community congratulate Dr. Ruth Lee on receiving the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is bestowed on long-standing members of RNAO who exemplify outstanding contributions to the profession of nursing in the areas of practice, education, administration or research, at the provincial, national and/or international level.
Ruth was born in China and came to Canada to attend nursing school and to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Throughout her career, she has witnessed the challenges immigrant nurses face, and is passionate about supporting colleagues who are facing cultural and linguistic barriers. Ruth is pictured with long-serving CARE Centre board member Ella Ferris, RN, MBA, who has chaired the Joan Lesmond IEN of the Year Awards Committee since their inception.
Celebrating our Graduates at RNAO Health Professionals Expo
CARE Centre held its graduation celebration in partnership with the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) during its Health Professional Expo in Toronto on May 11th during Nursing Week.
“It’s a great fit for our organizations, since our member IENs who have passed their exams get to shine in the spotlight, and they can also network with exhibiting employers,” said Program Manager Joanne Roth. There are 163 member IENs who passed their registration exams in 2017-2018.
Guest speakers included Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Assistant Deputy Minister Michael 
Reid and new RNAO President Angela Cooper Brathwaite, who delivered a speech The Overcomers: Cultural Adaptation from One Country to Another.
Valedictorian Folakemi Afolabi was the very first member of CARE Centre’s Pre-Arrival Supports and Service Program (PASS), and has now completed the CARE Centre bridging program to obtain her RN license as well – congratulations to all!
Call for Nominations for the 2018 Joan Lesmond IEN of the Year Awards
The 2018 Call for Nominations for the Joan Lesmond IEN RN and RPN of the Year was announced at CARE Centre’s member celebration on May 11th with an inspiring speech by 2017 RPN recipient Derrick Ntungwe. “CARE Centre brings IENs together to know that we are not just people, we are professionals who are on a journey with many hurdles,” said Ntungwe. 
“The Joan Lesmond IEN of the Year Award is very important to shine a spotlight on all the positives that IENs bring to nursing in Ontario. I was so honoured to receive the award in 2017, and I was promoted to a supervisory position shortly thereafter.” The RN recipient in 2017 was Gaynor Quieros. The award is now in its seventh year and was established in 2011 on CARE Centre’s 10th anniversary to honour the late nursing leader who championed diversity in nursing.
The nomination kit is available on the website at www.care4nurses/ienaward.
CAMH Nursing Leader Shares Insights on Cultural Competency
In early April CARE Centre invited Dr. Rani Srivastava to speak to staff and members on “Cultural Competency in the Healthcare Workplace”. Dr. Rani Srivastava RN, MScN, PhD, is Chief of Nursing and Professional Practice at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Assistant Professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and Adjunct Professor at York University.
The interactive session was seen globally by PASS members and a full audience at CARE Centre’s Toronto office who wanted to learn about navigating a multicultural society and work environment, and how one’s personal and professional culture affects nursing practice. Dr. Srivastava shared insight on how to nurse efficiently and competently in a multicultural and multilingual setting.
Staff also received mental health capacity training from CAHM Recreation Therapist Craig Currah in March. Thanks Craig and Rani! (Caption: Dr. Rani Srivastava)
PASS Membership Continues to Climb
Year-end results of the PASS (Pre-Arrival Supports and Services) program are in! March was an impressive month for enrollment in CARE Centre’ PASS with 32 new IENs joining PASS. The total for the past fiscal year was 290, and a total of 443 IENs became PASS members before arriving in Canada.
“Although the vast majority of our PASS clients are coming from the Philippines followed by India, it’s exciting to be providing service to nurses in places like Czech Republic, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, Korea – the list goes on!” said PASS Co-ordinator Meghan Wankel. “With PASS, these IENs will have a significant advantage in the entire process of resuming their nursing careers in Canada.”
PASS pairs IENs with Canadian Nurses Association members in destination provinces and CNA member nurses have also participated in webinars.
Visit the PASS website for more information: www.pass4nurses.org.