BONNYVILLE – The University of Calgary (UCalgary) and Covenant Health are collaborating to offer a registered nursing program at the Bonnyville Health Centre.
Zahra Shajani, undergraduate associate dean at UCalgary said they hope the program will support the growing needs of registered nurses in rural areas.
“Alberta Health Services has partnered with UCalgary to offer a four-year pilot project to offer a Bachelor of Nursing Rural Community Degree Program,“ said Shajani. “UCalgary will provide delivering the program, while Alberta Health Services will provide classroom space and hands-on training clinical opportunities at a health centre.”
According to information from the UCalgary, the first admissions at the Bonnyville Health Centre will be in the fall of 2025.
Applicants must live within 150 km of Bonnyville and be an Alberta resident to take part.
Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr commented on how excited he is about the program, and how it can offer flexible education for residents, without them having to leave home.
“This program will help keep our best and brightest right here in the Lakeland, contributing to the long-term success of our region’s healthcare system. With routes focused on the rural community and Indigenous communities, it’s tailored to meet the unique needs of our area,” said Cyr.
Shajani explained that the program makes a Bachelor of Nursing accessible to those who would not have the opportunity to travel to urban universities and allows them to get a quality education while they live in their home communities.
The program aims to be part of the solution in developing the nursing workforce and addressing the chronic shortages of registered nurses in rural and remote areas.
“As we have heard from our government that expanding access to post-secondary education for rural and remote Albertans is a priority. We, at UCalgary, want to ensure that we are part of the solution in building the nursing workforce in a strategic, meaningful, and impactful way,” said Shajani.
UCalgary is hosting a webinar called the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Rural Community Route Virtual Information Session on Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. Registration can be done through the UCalgary.
