Queensway Carleton Hospital and Carleton University launch Ontario’s first new university nursing program in over 20 years.

November 05, 2024

Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) and Carleton University have launched a brand new, tech-forward nursing program. It is the first new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to come out of an established Ontario university in over 20 years. This innovative partnership will transform nursing education and accelerate the entrance of new nurses into the workforce.

“Prior to the pandemic, we predicted a nursing shortage,” says Yvonne Wilson, Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Executive at QCH. “During the pandemic, we saw more nurses leaving our profession, and a higher rate of new grads leaving the profession at the start of their career. Nurses are the backbone of our system. We need more nurses with the skills and education to support the patient needs of today and for future generations.”

That sentiment is what sparked the idea to build a new school of nursing.

“Our partnership was born from two organizations talking about navigating post-pandemic challenges,” says Wilson. “We wondered if there was any way we could do something together to improve things.”

Together with recent nursing graduates, the organizations formed a steering committee and worked on conceptualization, curriculum development and clinical practicums – ensuring the program keeps technology at the forefront, designing the program to support current and future healthcare providers' mental health and reflecting the current, on-the-job challenges of nursing in Ontario.

"As a nurse educator familiar with the various current curricular models in place, the opportunity to reconsider how we educate our future nurses is an exciting and long-awaited change,” says Danielle Manley, Carleton University’s School of Nursing Director and former QCH Nursing Professional Practice Manager. “To have the chance to reshape nursing education in partnership with our community and with students at the center of our model is the chance of a lifetime. The anticipation to welcome the first cohort is palpable on campus and at QCH as we countdown to the first day."

This three-year program gets new nurses on the frontlines one year faster than other programs – and with modernized and real-world skills.

The curriculum is Indigenous-built, which through partnership and storytelling, seeks to decolonize healthcare delivery concepts, creating healthcare providers who strive for cultural competence and understanding.

The coursework will be delivered in a hybrid manner incorporating hands-on learning at Carleton University or a clinical placement site like Queensway Carleton Hospital. Education and training will involve using simulated environments or scenarios, artificial intelligence (AI) technology and opportunities for students to gain on-the-ground experience early on in their education through internships or practical training sessions.

“This type of hands-on training is essential to give nurses confidence when entering the workforce and provide the skills they need to have an immediate impact,” says Wilson.

The program offers concentrations in:

• Data Science – enabling the more advanced use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technology to improve the delivery of high-quality, personalized clinical care in response to Canada’s healthcare crisis.
• Neuroscience and Mental Health – supporting the needs of communities and healthcare providers including resilience training from day one.

 

The first intake of students will begin in the fall of 2025. Applications are now being accepted through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre at www.ouac.on.ca.