Bridging the Gap: Helping healthcare professionals prepare to work in Canada

By Carolyn Duvar, Program Lead, National Healthcare Language Program

Health is strongest when we work together. On April 7, World Health Day 2026 highlights the theme “Together for health. Stand with science,” underscoring the power of collaboration, communication, and partnerships principles that are at the very heart of ISANS’ National Healthcare Language Program (NHLP).

The NHLP is a free, flexible online initiative designed to support internationally educated healthcare professionals across Canada. We help these skilled professionals bridge the gap between their global expertise and the Canadian healthcare landscape through specialized communication training.

Our program is specifically designed to support international medical graduates (IMGs), international pharmacy graduates (IPGs), and internationally educated nurses (IENs) as they transition into the Canadian healthcare workforce. We recognize that these professionals bring world-class expertise and our mission is to provide them with the communication and cultural tools to apply that expertise safely and confidently in a Canadian context.

The National Healthcare Language Program offers multiple courses that focus on:

• Patient-Centred Communication: mastering the nuances of taking patient histories and guiding patients to a plan personalized to their individual needs.
• Cultural Competency: exploring and developing Canadian workplace values and principles
• Licensure Preparation: Tailored communication strategies to help prepare for critical exams such as the
  • Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) licensure exams
  • Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses  (CELBAN)

Effective healthcare is built on clear, empathetic communication. The NHLP provides targeted courses for:

• International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and International Pharmacy Graduates (IPGs): Our Communication Strategies for Patient Interactions (CSPI) course focuses on the high-stakes communication skills needed for OSCE licensure exams.
• Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs): We offer two courses for IENs. One is our comprehensive Strategies for CELBAN courses covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a healthcare context. The next course is a shorter version for listening & speaking – Professional Communication Strategies for Nurses.

By empowering IMGs, IPGs, and IENs across Canada with the communication tools they need, we aren’t just helping individuals pass exams; we are helping international healthcare professionals work towards joining and strengthening the Canadian healthcare system. This mission aligns with the goal of World Health Day: to ensure that “science serves everyone, everywhere”.

This World Health Day, we’re proud to unveil our new promotional video, where participants share personal stories and reflect on how ISANS’ National Healthcare Language courses have helped pave their path to careers in Canada’s healthcare system.