Northern College -- long term focus on nursing.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: Top Post-secondary Programs

Programs such as the new four-year collaborative nursing degree program at Northern College are integral to keeping people working and living in the northeast, according to Joanne Carbonneau, the program's coordinator.

Having phased out the three-year nursing diploma program at the request of the Ontario College of Nurses, Northern entered into a collaboration with Laurentian University, Cambrian College and Sault College. As a result, all four institutions offer the same curriculum, resulting in a degree issued by Laurentian.

However, rather than having to spend two years at the college and two years at the university, Northern students can do all four years of study at the Porcupine campus. This allows students a greater opportunity to find work in their home communities.

"If they're going to be in Timmins doing their practicum, it means they'll be getting jobs here, so it's very good for the community," Carbonneau says.

"It's been wonderful, and people up North in Kapuskasing, Hearst, Iroquois Falls now have access to a university program a lot closer than having to go to Sudbury."

With 68 students throughout its four-year program, seven graduates were seen in the first graduating class last year. All of them found employment in their field, a trend Carbonneau expects will continue as enrolment steadily increases year over year, with 16 students set to graduate this year.

Being able to offer students the opportunity to earn a nursing degree, rather than a nursing diploma is key to furthering their career and making Northern Ontario a stronger academic option. This avenue allows graduates to choose between becoming a nurse practitioner or pursuing a master's degree, a choice which is becoming increasingly important to students, Carbonneau says.

Another important element of the program is its hands-on approach. In their first semester of their first year, students are already spending time in a long-term care facility, and a continuing care floor of a hospital by their second semester. In their fourth...