Construction begins on UPEI School of Nursing
Published on September 23rd, 2010
The Guardian
When Margaret Monro became UPEI’s dean of nursing in 1992, it signaled a change for P.E.I.’s education and health sectors.
Until that fall, the province was the only one in Canada not offering a program for a nursing degree.
Although the P.E.I. School of Nursing ran a two-year diploma program, as health care grew more demanding through the late 1980s it was obvious those entering the field would soon need a more indepth education.
“The diploma program schools really were designed to prepare nurses for in-hospital acute care but there wasn’t any experience in community or long-term care. It was decided that having two levels of education that look parallel but aren’t sent mixed messages,” said Monro.
When the Canadian Nursing Association said they’d eventually only accept degree-educated individuals, the decision was made and in 1994, two years after the UPEI School of Nursing opened its doors, the P.E.I. School of Nursing graduated its last class.
Big changes still continue in the link between health and education on P.E.I., with construction of the new UPEI School of Nursing building announced on Tuesday.
The new space will house the School of Nursing plus the new Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences.
It will also allow the university to offer a new master of nursing program and accelerated learning class, says UPEI president Wade MacLauchlan.
“Now we can give our students an even brighter future,” he said. “This will be an important platform to address our future health care needs and opportunities.”
The expansion reflects the growth of one of UPEI’s fastest growing departments, said Dean of Nursing Kim Critchley.
When the School of Nursing started in 1992, about 18 students enlisted, she said.
Today, the school accepts about 60 new students every year.
“One reason is the good support from the provincial government’s sponsorship program but the big reason is guaranteed employment for two years after graduation. Until that came in place we used to lose half of our graduates to elsewhere but now most stay,” said Critchley.
The provincial government is funding two thirds of the construction, $7.2 million, while UPEI will raise the other third, $3.6 million, for a total ost of $10.8 million.
Expecting construction to be completed by fall 2011, UPEI is looking at options of what to do with the old nursing building, where Monro developed the program that graduated the province’s first degree-educated nurses.
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