Iqaluit (Feb 06/06) - One week following the announcement that Baffin Regional Hospital had failed its accreditation, nine of 16 international nurses - recruited at a cost of $13,000 each - failed their entrance exams.

On Oct. 12, the nurses wrote the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam, a standardised, timed, short answer test that measures knowledge in basic nursing skills.

All 16 of the nurses were part of the international nurses recruitment plan.

Through Trillium talent recruiters, the territory pays $13,000 for every nurse the company can convince to do a two-year stint in Nunavut.

If the nurse doesn't last the two years - if the nurse leaves or is dismissed - the company is responsible for providing another nurse, free of charge.

The tests were offered in French and English.

"One of the screening criteria that our consultant for this endeavour, Trillium, has was a language criteria. The nurses had to pass a written, spoken and oral exam," said Nancy Campbell, spokesperson health and social services.

The failed nurses are preparing for their second crack at the test. You can only write the test three times.

The nurses prepared and studied intensively to get ready for the testing, according to the department.

There are a number of practice exams available, so that potential nurses can get prepared.

"They've been on the job, but they can not work without supervision, until they have their CRNE in place.

"In some cases, they are still working, but they are getting more time to study with nurses who are on-site. In other cases, they have been pulled from their regular workplace and assembled to do some more clinical training," said Campbell.

The next exam is being written Feb 8. There are 40 nurses in Nunavut who were recruited internationally, and the goal is to have 100 of them.

The eventual plan is to develop enough nurses through the Arctic College program to fill most positions. By the year 2020 the government of Nunavut wants to have 85 per cent of all government positions - including nursing positions - filled by Inuit.

However, only four nurses have graduated from the program so far. In 2004 and 2005, a total of four nurses graduated. All of them have remained in Nunavut. The current first year class has eight students.

- with files from Jillian Dickens