Issue link: http://georgiancollege.uberflip.com/i/1365394
19 GEORGIANVIEW 2021 SPRING NURSING PROGRAM Beginning September 2022, Georgian is planning to offer the four-year program at its Barrie and Owen Sound campuses. It couldn't come at a better time. Even before the pandemic, Grey, Bruce and Simcoe counties had a vast shortage of nurses. "We are really worried about the number of nurses that are going to retire early because this last year has been a bit rough on everybody," notes Dr. Sara Lankshear, Associate Dean of the BScN program. "So, we have no doubt that the need for nurses will only increase." According to an analysis of Local Health Integration Networks, about half of the students who started their nursing degree at Georgian and continued their studies at York for the last two years never returned to Central Ontario to practice. Instead they stayed to work in the Toronto area where they trained. Those who train here tend to stay here, which is good for local health care and local communities. The four-year Georgian nursing degree program will also encourage more people to apply who wouldn't otherwise. "I think it just speaks to access and equity," says Melissa Bilodeau, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare at the Huntsville District Memorial and South Muskoka Memorial sites, who took the Georgian/York collaborative program and graduated in 2007. "To travel to a large urban centre to get a university degree, you count a portion of the potential students out because they're not able to afford to live in the city. It's expensive." Offering all four years of the BScN program has been a goal of Georgian's for a long time. Georgian is known for its supportive faculty and hands- on learning, as well as a robust awards, scholarships and bursaries program. Such support ensures access and equity, and makes it a practical choice for the next generation of health-care heroes. "My sisters are extremely excited to do all four years at Georgian because of the proximity, and the faculty are so much more engaging and interactive there," says Rachel. "The fact that there are so many bursaries and great donors makes it so welcoming for a student, especially one from a large family. For our family, it's something we're really excited about and hope that everything goes well in the coming years." Heroes. GCHeroes.ca COMING 2022 #GCHeroes