NIAGARA COLLEGE
College launches new four-year Nursing degree program

Niagara College is introducing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree program that will expand options for students in nursing education and help meet the urgent demand for more registered nurses in Niagara and beyond.

Practical Nursing students line up to enter a lab at Niagara College's Applied Health Institute (Welland Campus) after intake for the program increased fall 2021.
 

"Niagara College is leveraging its rich history of preparing career-ready healthcare professionals, who are making an impact here in Niagara and around the world, to create enhanced options for students, while helping to address an urgent need for highly trained registered nurses in our healthcare sector," said Niagara College President Sean Kennedy. "The BScN program will help meet the current and emerging needs of the nursing workforce, particularly within southwestern Ontario communities and the province of Ontario."

The College expects to welcome its first intake of 60 students into the new BScN program - which prepares students for work as registered nurses - for Fall 2024 term.

NC is a leader in nursing education and has been delivering its two-year Practical Nursing diploma program, which prepares students for career opportunities as registered practical nurse, since 2006. The introduction of the BScN marks its return to offering RN education. Before its closure during the nineties, the former Mack School of Nursing, which eventually became part of Niagara College, was the oldest nursing school in Canada.

"Launching this program feels like a return to the history and legacy of nursing in Niagara," said Niagara College's Vice President Academic, Fiona Allan. "We will be in an even better position to meet the health human resource needs of the region. And by offering the PSW certificate, Practical Nursing diploma, and Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing, we will be able to offer students many different pathways to achieve their career goals."

The BScN program will prepare graduates for the complex and varied role of a registered nurse (RN) in the provision of safe, competent, ethical, compassionate and evidence-informed nursing care across all practice settings. With a focus on caring, social justice, and primary healthcare, NC's BScN program will emphasize concepts and theories for understanding human responses in health and illness. It will also provide graduates with transferable skills that include critical thinking, emotional intelligence, problem solving, and effective communication.

The program will have a strong clinical focus supported by state-of-the-art simulation labs and placement partnerships. Combining theory and practice, the BScN program will prepare students for careers in the nursing field or further study at the graduate level. It was designed with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusivity, and holistic care for aging adults, young children, young families and underserved populations, including those living in rural areas and those impacted by mental health and chronic health challenges.

The addition of the BScN to NC's program offerings responds to an increased demand for skilled registered nurses, said Courtney Evers, Associate Dean, of NC's School of Nursing and PSW. She noted that a focus on social justice and health equity will set NC's BScN program apart, and that the program was designed to provide an equally high quality of education as that of the College's Practical Nursing program.

"As with the Practical Nursing program, the BScN emphasizes experiential learning to optimize nursing graduates' knowledge, skill and judgement in providing client care," said Evers. "Not only do we need to offer the BScN program to provide more options for students, we need to offer this program to help address the current registered nurse shortage."

According to a report from the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), "Ontario's RN Understaffing Crisis: Impact and Solution" (2021), RNs and registered psychiatric nurses have had the largest increase in job vacancies over the past two years (up by 85.8%) of all measured occupations in Canada. RN vacancies in Ontario have more than quadrupled since the beginning of 2016 and have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic; and the number of Ontario RN vacancies that have remained unfilled for 90 days or more has increased by nearly 50% since the start of the pandemic.

Faculty and administrators from NC's School of Nursing & PSW are applauding news of the new program.

"I believe the NC BScN program is unique in Ontario because the curriculum has a strong focus on social justice and global health issues, which prepares students to be world ready," said Professor Cindy Ko, PhD. "Professors in our department are diverse and have effective pedagogical approaches that come with their international work, education, and life experiences."

"The Niagara College BScN program was designed with student success and competent, compassionate patient care in mind," said Professor Tracey L. Davey. "A carefully planned combination of laboratory, simulation and clinical experience, along with a clear focus on nursing's professional standards prepares graduates for an exciting career."

The College has long standing relationships with hospitals and community health agencies in Niagara where students gain hands-on practical experience.

NC's proposal to offer the BScN degree received letters of support from industry including Niagara Health, Hotel Dieu Shaver, Niagara Region Community Services, Thrive Group, Radiant Care and more.

"On behalf of Niagara Health, I am writing to express strong support for Niagara College to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree in a stand- alone format. We have worked successfully as an active partner with Niagara College in the preparation of nursing students for graduate employment, by providing a variety of clinical placements," said Heather Paterson, Interim Executive Vice President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive, Niagara Health, in a letter of support.

"A Niagara College nursing degree will provide many opportunities for those wishing to pursue a career in nursing. It will provide a direct entry point to the BSCN program, as well as a pathway for Registered Practical Nurses to continue their education towards a baccalaureate degree," stated Jennifer Hansen, Chief Nursing Officer Director of Nursing at Hotel Dieu Shaver, in a letter of support. "A Niagara College stand-alone degree will provide more opportunities and flexibility to meeting students' learning needs. Graduates of this program would be capable of working in any setting in which a Registered Nurse with a BScN degree is required."

The College also anticipates approval for an RPN to BsCN bridge, which would allow Practical Nursing students to enter year three of the BScN program. The BScN program will also grant preferred admission status to students from NC's Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees one-year certificate program.

The new offering follows changes by the Ontario government in early 2020 to permit colleges to offer the BScN program independently, without a university partner, followed by amendments made to the Nursing Act in December 2020 to permit applicants holding a BScN awarded by approved publicly funded colleges to apply to the CNO to become RNs.

The program will be based at NC's Welland Campus, within the College's Applied Health Institute.

For information about the BScN, visit niagaracollege.ca/basn.