First student cohort settles into Georgian College's new stand-alone nursing program
Students are settling into Georgian College's new stand-alone four-year Bachelor of Science and Nursing program.
"This is our first cohort, and we are unbelievably excited," said Sara Lankshear, associate dean of nursing.
One hundred and fifty students are among the first to enroll in the program, which is aimed at attracting students to campuses in Barrie and Owen Sound.
"We have 120 here at the Barrie campus and 30 at the campus in Owen Sound," said Lankshear. "The students they actually live in these communities. They will now learn all four years in these communities, learn about the communities and then upon graduation stay here and practice in these communities."
Last year the province announced $35 million to increase enrolment in nursing programs in Ontario as hospitals in Grey Bruce and Simcoe Muskoka continue to grapple with staffing shortages.
"What we found in the previous program in place before is anywhere from 40 to 60 per cent of the students that finished their degree in the GRA area never came back to this area to practice," said Lankshear.
Lankshear said that this year, the college had about 900 applications for the program.
Kaidence Buck is a first-year student. Her mom works at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie.
She said hearing about the challenges firsthand is one of the reasons she chose the program.
"With everyone that's applied and in the program, it will be better. There will be more nurses who will be there to reduce the burnouts and the shortages," Buck said.
Others like Paula Hamilton said completing all four years close to home allows her to save money without uprooting her family.
"(There is) no need to worry about transportation, no need to worry about living cost and adjusting your whole life over again, especially being a mom," said Hamilton.
The curriculum focuses on the needs of the area, including Indigenous and mental health, seniors, and rural health care.
In preparation for the program, the campus in Owen Sound opened its $7.1 million new nursing and wellness wing, providing the space and technology for several programs, including nursing.
In Barrie, several investments were also made in technology.
"We've also got some plans for renovations at this campus as well that will continue to be able to provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for our students," said Lankshear.
As hospitals like RVH move to double in size, the college said students graduating from this program would be ready to fill those spots and meet the demand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion’s biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.