The University of Alberta is seeing strong results from a three-year campaign to recruit, train and graduate rural and Indigenous students, and create a pipeline of qualified nurses to work in underserved areas.
An average of 271 rural students enrolled over the past three years, and the number of Indigenous students increased by 28 per cent to 100. Opportunities to get hands-on practical training in small-town and rural hospitals increased by 32 per cent.
The focus on rural enrolment comes thanks to a targeted investment of nearly $1.6 million by the Government of Alberta to create 132 new seats for students in the Faculty of Nursing.
