UNBC’s Northern Baccalaureate Nursing Program underway at NLC

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) new Northern Baccalaureate Nursing Program started this month at Northern Lights College.

The new two-year program, with the first cohort of 13 students, started in Fort St. John and means the residents in the North will soon have first-class care, according to the Province.

The program is supported by $3.3 million in capital funding from the Province and the program introduces students to the aspects of delivering health care in small urban and rural communities located in the Peace Region and surrounding areas.

“In the North, people deserve access to the high-quality, local care that the Northern Baccalaureate Nursing Program will provide in its graduates,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“When students receive the best training on how to deliver care in northeastern communities, the people living in them will benefit from having access to health-care workers who understand their specific needs.”

The new program is housed at the UNBC space in Northern Lights College and makes nursing education more accessible to those living in the northeastern part of the province. This program will help to improve access to health care in the region by training nurses locally.

“By investing in in-demand programs, we are committed to training the next generation of nurses in northern B.C.,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training. “This program will give more students opportunities for hands-on learning, so they can provide quality health care where it is needed.”

The two-year bachelor of science in nursing program runs five consecutive semesters and features both online and face-to-face classroom components. Clinical practicums will be completed in various hospitals, clinics, and community settings thanks to a collaboration with Northern Health.

More information on the new program can be found on the UNBC website.