Featured Member: Dr. Edward Cruz

Dr. Edward Cruz is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor, in Windsor, Ontario. Dr. Cruz also holds several other degrees, including a PhD in Dental Science and Microbiology from Niigata University in Japan, as well as a PhD in Development Education from Central State Luzon University in the Philippines. Dr. Cruz is currently pursuing a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development at the University of Toronto. N4 is fortunate to have Dr. Cruz’s expertise in his role as Co-Chair of N4’s Community of Practice Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Working Group: Pathways to Employment. 

Despite being interested in nursing as a high school student in the Philippines, it was only after exploring potential career paths in Canada that Dr. Cruz decided to pursue nursing as part of his immigration path in 2004. Having developed a passion for teaching post-secondary students in the Philippines, Dr. Cruz hoped to ultimately teach the next generation of nursing students. However, despite his many degrees, Dr. Cruz learned firsthand how challenging it can be for IENs to attain desired employment in Canada. While the College of Nurses of Ontario recognized his qualifications and allowed him to write the exam to become a Registered Nurse in the province, his qualifications were still not considered equivalent to Canadian qualifications.  

As a result, he returned to school, attaining a second Bachelor of Nursing, this time from Athabasca University. His first job as a nurse in Canada was at a community hospital in the Great Toronto Area (GTA), followed by a position at a shelter for homeless men in Toronto. Simultaneously, Dr. Cruz also pursued a Master of Science in Nursing from York University, as well as a PhD in Development Education from Central State Luzon University in the Philippines. Dr. Cruz continued to apply to tenure-track positions in the GTA, but the applications were unsuccessful.  

Dr. Cruz began his teaching role as a part-time faculty member in a practical nursing program, and subsequently a program coordinator at a GTA-area bridging program for IENs – a role that opened his eyes to the challenges fellow IENs were experiencing, and ultimately sparked the topic for his master's thesis. His research interests since beginning his current role as an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor in 2017 have continued to focus on nursing education, IENs, human resources of health, immigrant health, and interprofessional education and collaboration. 

Having seen firsthand the benefits of IEN bridging programs, Dr. Cruz feels strongly that these programs should be available to any IEN who needs them. While gaps in the recognition of IENs’ foreign credentials and experience, as well as the interest in recruiting IENs to help solve Canada's health human resource (HHR) crisis are not new, Dr. Cruz feels that it ultimately took the COVID-19 pandemic’s exacerbation of the HHR crisis to bring about the focus on solutions for the recruitment and retention of IENs.  

While Dr. Cruz would like to see more bridging programs available to IENs, he is concerned about the proliferation of organizations in Canada that either over-promise employment to IENs, or offer programs that do not help IENs obtain registration or licensure in Canada. Dr. Cruz would also like to see additional focus on supports for IENs once they attain employment in healthcare organizations, and he emphasizes the importance of providing IENs with sufficient training time in a new workplace environment. 

When asked what he enjoys about teaching, Dr. Cruz responds, “the opportunity to engage with students...the things that for one reason or another seem to make a difference in another person's life....being able to see those bulbs light up among students.” Dr. Cruz goes on to say that he is regularly motivated by the opportunity to shape the lives not only of his students, but of the IENs he mentors, “being able to advise an IEN on career options or on directions that they need to do to be successful, and then they come back to you and say thank you, I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t given me that advice.” 

When not teaching or researching, Dr. Cruz shares his knowledge about the challenges facing IENs in his role as the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Partners in Integration and Education of Internationally Educated Nurses. In addition, he also serves as Chair of the Education Review Advisory Committee of the National Nursing Assessment Service, as well as an accreditation reviewer for the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. He is also regularly consulted by colleagues seeking information about IENs.