Assiniboine College celebrated the grand opening of its rural rotating Practical Nursing site in Beausejour on February 21. This site aims to address the growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals in rural Manitoba by providing accessible training opportunities closer to home.
"Assiniboine College is committed to delivering high-quality, hands-on education that meets the needs of Manitoba's workforce," said Mark Frison, President of Assiniboine College. "This rotating site in Beausejour will allow students to train in or near their own communities, reducing the barrier to training and supporting healthcare services in rural areas. We thank our partners in the community, the health region and the province for ensuring we can offer opportunities to the students learning here."
Assiniboine welcomed its first cohort of students to the Beausejour in January of this year. The Practical Nursing program offers classroom instruction, lab experiences, and clinical placements to ensure graduates are well-prepared to serve their communities.
"Expanding training opportunities for healthcare professionals is crucial to maintaining and strengthening our healthcare system," said Marion Ellis, CEO of Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. "Training nursing students in rural communities and nations contribute to workforce sustainability that helps meet people's healthcare needs for years to come. Beausejour's elected leaders and Assiniboine College have shown foresight in their collaboration. We look forward to offering new graduates rewarding nursing careers."
The launch of the Beausejour site also aligns with the Province of Manitoba's commitment to increasing training capacity for healthcare professionals and bolstering the number of people working in Manitoba's healthcare sector.
"We recognized the potential to enhance healthcare services and create educational opportunities in Beausejour," said Mayor Ray Schirle, Town of Beausejour. "We are thrilled to welcome Assiniboine College's Practical Nursing program to our community to provide local students with valuable career opportunities, but also support the healthcare needs of our community."
In addition to rural rotating sites, the college has permanent Practical Nursing programs at its campuses in Brandon, Winnipeg, Dauphin and Portage la Prairie. For more information on the Practical Nursing program at Assiniboine, visit assiniboine.net/nursing.
