LAKELAND - Portage College students from other countries hoping to continue nursing careers will benefit from a recently announced provincial funding initiative.
On Oct. 17, the Government of Alberta announced an $11 million provincial funding investment for nurse bridging programs for internationally-educated nurses. The college, with campus locations across the Lakeland region is one of 10 post-secondary institutions in Alberta playing a significant role in ensuring that foreign-trained nurses become certified to practice nursing in the province through this initiative.
Over the next three years, the provincial government will create 848 new registered nurse pathway seats along with 373 new licensed practical nursing seats. These 1,221 spaces are in addition to the more than 600 that were announced in February for registered and licensed practical nurse bridging programs.
Portage College will receive half a million dollars for the creation of 96 new spaces.
Donna Feledichuk, the Vice President of Academics and Research at Portage College, said the school is proud to collaborate on this initiative with other post-secondary institutions — including Bow Valley College, Northwestern Polytechnic, and Keyano College — to deliver bridging programming to eligible internationally-educated nurses to help address healthcare shortages in Alberta.
“We strongly believe that people educated in the region are more likely to stay in the region,” Feledichuk told Lakeland This Week. “That is why it is so vitally important to have this type of training in our stewardship area where there is a high demand for more registered nurses. We are appreciative of the funding from the Alberta Government and are ready to work with partners on this important initiative.”
Study here, work here
According to a statement released by the province on Oct. 17, nurses who qualify can receive upwards of $30,000. This bursary is over a five-year period and is designed to help with the costs of nursing bridging programs, which include tuition.
Nursing graduates do not have to repay this bursary on the condition that they agree to work and work in a rural region of the province for one year for every $6,000 in assistance given.
Provincially, those issuing the funding are excited about the prospects.
Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education, says investing in more seats in bridging programs helps nurses trained in foreign countries, strengthens connections through Alberta communities and improves the overall healthcare system.
“Our post-secondary institutions are valued partners in meeting that need, both in their home communities and across the province,” she said.
Echoing the statements of her provincial counterpart, Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s minister of Health, said the addition of more seats for nurse bridging programs is a vital step towards addressing the growing demand for health care professionals in Alberta.
“Internationally-educated nurses play a crucial role in meeting the health care needs of Albertans and this initiative will help them integrate more easily into communities across our province,” she said.
As part of its 2023 budget, the Alberta government is also investing $7.8 million to fund non-repayable financial assistance for eligible internationally educated nurses.
