COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA
College of New Caledonia opens expanded Nursing Lab in Quesnel to meet local healthcare needs

After four months of renovations, the College of New Caledonia (CNC) opened its expanded Nursing Lab on the Quesnel campus on Monday, June 17. 

Last year, CNC received $989,865 in capital support from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to convert an existing classroom and renovate the current Nursing Lab.

"Together, we're investing in training and preparing health-care workers across the province," said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. "With this renovated laboratory at the College of New Caledonia's Quesnel campus, we're setting our next generation of health-care professionals up for success, so people across B.C. can access the care they need, when and where they need it."  

"The nursing laboratory expansion will meet the needs of students today and for years to come at the Quesnel campus," said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. "By investing in health education programs, more students in all regions of the province can pursue a career in health care that makes a difference in their local communities."  

The expansion of the Nursing Lab will accommodate increased seats at CNC's Quesnel campus and meet new program requirements for the following career trajectories: 

• Registered Nurses in the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program (NCBNP), which is offered in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UNBC); and
   
• Health Care Assistants in the Health Career Access Program, which is offered in partnership with Northern Health 

"Providing exceptional learning environments is an important part of ensuring students have a positive experience. We're grateful for the support of the Government of British Columbia and our opportunities to work with UNBC and Northern Health to help educate the next generations of health care professionals," said Cindy Heitman, CNC president.  

"People in Northern B.C. rely on skilled health care professionals to meet their needs in all dimensions of health and well-being. As a place of learning, we're committed to working with the Government of B.C., program partners, and local employers to build healthy communities. CNC's expansion of the Nursing Lab in Quesnel will allow us to offer additional opportunities for study and academic upgrading to the next generation of nurses, health care assistants, and other health care professionals," added Dr. Tamara Chambers-Richards, Dean of CNC's School of Health Sciences. 

"Our ongoing collaboration with the College of New Caledonia to train local students, as part of the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program, continues to build community capacity for regional health services," said Dr. Bill Owen, Interim Vice President Academic and Provost. "The ability to teach even more students through expanded infrastructure will help advance our shared education goals even further.  

Every year, CNC offers close to 430 seats across its Health Sciences programs. These include, but are not limited to, registered nursing, practical nursing, health care assisting, diagnostic medical sonography, medical radiation technology, medical laboratory technology sciences, dental hygiene, and dental assisting.  

Due to the high demand of healthcare professionals, successful graduates of CNC's School of Health Sciences enjoy a 94% employment rate in jobs related to their program. A high percentage of Health Sciences students receive job offers before they've even graduated. The BC Labour Market Outlook predicts the health care and social assistance industry will generate the most job openings in B.C. between 2023 and 2033 (166,300 or 17 per cent of a total of 998,000 openings).