News Archives: Northwestern Polytechnic Exploring International Healthcare Solutions
Wednesday, April 26th, 2023
Northwestern Polytechnic is joining the effort to address the provincial and national nursing shortage with new programs focused on getting more nurses trained and out into our communities.
“NWP has been steadily expanding healthcare career pathways across both of our campuses in Fairview and Grande Prairie,” said Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research, Dr. Vanessa Sheane. “This latest Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) Bridging Program addition is significant because it will help maximize existing nursing talent and skills in our region and provide a timely staffing boost for the healthcare system.”
The new offering will support nurses who have not worked within Canadian jurisdiction to complete their Bridge to Canadian Nursing (BCN) certificate right here in Grande Prairie. This program is being developed in partnership with Portage College, Bow Valley College and Keyano College, and will provide opportunities for international nurses to train and lay down roots throughout Northern Alberta.
“We are proud to be working with the government and our program partners to remove barriers and enable internationally trained health-care professionals to get the accreditation that they need, to get back to doing the job that they love,” said NWP President and CEO Justin Kohlman. “Ideally, these students will come to see all that our region has to offer and will choose to stay once their training is complete, in turn strengthening our local healthcare system.”
Up to this point, the demand for the only BCN program in Alberta exceeded its enrolment cap, with a waiting list as long as 18 months. With Alberta Health Services (AHS) committing to hiring 500 IENs over the next three years, there is a critical need to get more nurses trained.
“Working alongside our partner post-secondaries and the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA), we will be developing an asynchronous program that will feature course work and clinical placements,” said Dr. Vanessa Sheane. “Ultimately we want to provide a suite of courses that IENS can choose from to meet their individual needs and interests. Our hope is to welcome learners in Fall 2023.”
September is shaping up to be a busy month with NWP also kicking off a two-year Practical Nurse Diploma program at the Fairview Campus. The popular course launched at the Grande Prairie Campus in 2022 and has served aspiring professionals interested in providing nursing care in a variety of health care settings, such as hospitals, the community and other health care agencies.
For more information on NWP’s careful career paths visit NWP.me/Health.
