The University ofNorthern British Columbia’s School of Nursing has been awarded $118,500 for theRural Nursing certificate program, which enhances and broadens the skills of nursesto better cope with the challenges of providing care in rural and remote areas.The funding will expand the program to include additional courses in First Calland Remote Nursing Practice.

The funding, providedby BC’s Ministry of Health Services, is the result of a call for proposals fromnursing programs around the province to demonstrate how they might develop curriculum for threekey areas of certified nursing practice: Registered Nurse First Call, RemoteNursing Practice, and Reproductive Health Nursing. Out of dozens of applications from institutionsaround the province, UNBC was selected for funding to develop courses leadingto certification in RN First Call and Remote Nursing Practice.

UNBC’s School ofNursing Chair, Dr. Vince Salyers, says the funding will be used to develop thecertified practice curriculum for the two certified practices and that this willfurther enhance the program.“This program, which is a partnership between Northern Health, the province andthe university, is vital to Northern BC,” says Dr. Vince Salyers. “In ruralareas, nurses have fewer resources to summon and there are fewer physicians.This makes it necessary to give them extra generalist expertise and knowledge. Theprogram provides nurses with additional generalist expertise andknowledge and addresses that need.”

The Rural NursingCertificate Program provides the opportunity for Registered Nurses to pursue aconcentrated program of courses in Rural Nursing. The Certificate providesstudents with some of the essential knowledge and clinical skills needed toprovide nursing care in rural communities and hospitals. it started in the Fall of 2007 and had 49 students students enrolled this past year.

“It’s a unique and effective program,” says Nursing professor Lela Zimmer, UndergraduateProgram Coordinator for the Prince George campus and one of the programinstructors. “Not only do studentsearn thirty university credits by completing the certificate, but the programcan be counted towards a bachelor’s degree if they don’t already have one. It’sa great way of equipping nurses for practice in rural and remote areas.”

The Rural Nursing CertificateProgram is supported by health authorities across British Columbia.  It isbased upon the principles of primary health care, and oriented to the needs ofnurses in rural and remote communities. All courses are offered by distanceeducation though some courses require on-site workshops and/or practicumexperience.

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Team Rural Nursing: From left to right, Nursing Program Advisor Laurie Friskie,  Clinical Placement Coordinator Tanya Schilling, and Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Coordinator Lela Zimmer.