8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
#NNW2016 MAY 9-15, 2016 NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2016
DELIVERING CARE AT HOME UCN NURSING STUDENTS HAVE TIES TO NORTHERN COMMUNITIES
BY HOLLI MONCRIEFF for the Free Press
Finding medical professionals willing to work in the North has always been a challenge. T he solution? Train the people who already have strong ties to Manitoba’s northern communities. University College of the North (UCN) has been overwhelmed with the success of its nursing program at both of its main campuses, which are located in Thompson and The Pas. The school also has 12 regional centres located across northern Manitoba. “Over 80% of our students are from the North. For the first five years after graduation, they’ll stay in a bigger centre to get acute-care experience, but most of our students will move back to their smaller North communities,” says Vicki Zeran, UCN’s Dean of the Faculty of Health. More than 50% of UCN’s students are Aboriginal, and Zeran says approximately 70% of people living in the North are Aboriginal as well. “It makes sense to have Aboriginal people in nursing to care for people in northern communities,” she says. “There is a pressing need for health care in the North and northern and Aboriginal people feel a need to provide that care.” UCN offers a joint Bachelor of Nursing degree program in cooperation with the University of Manitoba. The four-year
successfully completing the program. “Our attrition rates should decrease because it’s more competitive to enter the program now,” she says. “It used to be on a first-come, first-served basis, with no pre- professional year at the beginning.” One of the challenges facing the college’s nursing students is the hurdle they must overcome after graduation. “Before our students graduate, they have to do 12 weeks of a full-time nursing practicum, and after graduation, they must apply to the College of Registered Nurses for registration after passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX),” says Zeran. “We’re struggling with our NCLEX (pass) rates, as are most schools across Canada. In response, we’re trying to develop exam questions which are more reflective of NCLEX-type.” Students take a predictor exam before they graduate to build their confidence before they take the NCLEX. This trial run can also pinpoint potential problems before students sit for the official examination. UCN offers both day and evening programs to its students. The average age of its students is 32, and the majority are single parents. All students have access to a variety of services, including a computer lab that is open 24/7, academic and personal counselling, a library, student housing, scholarships and bursaries, day cares and various student activities. ✚ medications, she looked up at me and asked, “How is your mom?” My reply was that my mom had passed on a number of years earlier. Her reply to me was, “Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Were you close?” I told her some of the things about my mom, and she told me I was most fortunate to have had the time with her that I had, and I agreed. Now, to most people this would appear and sound like an everyday conversation, but when you work with someone with any form of dementia, you learn that these insights are few and far between. So when they do occur, they are most precious, because at that moment, this resident had a little window of what was real and in the moment for her. As a nurse, you learn to appreciate these very precious moments and you never forget about the individual that gave them to you, for at that moment she made me feel much loved and very special, and I thank her for that. Sue Lapointe, LPN Golden West Centennial Lodge JUST A NOTE … Nurses make a difference with their knowledge, their compassion, and the trusting relationships they establish with their patients/residents. Thank you for allowing me to have a say about the profession that I love. Paula Thomas
program includes a pre-professional year, which Zeran says has greatly increased the students’ chances of success. “Most courses you have to take in the first year are defined. Our curriculum is almost identical to the University of Manitoba’s,” she adds. “What sets us apart is that a lot of our systems are geared toward Aboriginal students.” The college provides programs for adults over 19 who have been out of school for at least six months. Along with an Aboriginal Centre and the presence of elders who work at both campuses, UCN is in the process of developing a mentorship program to help students with their studies and point them in the right direction. “We have one of our retired nursing instructors tutoring our third-year students,” says Zeran. “Students are encouraged to ask for one-on-one help if they need it.” The demand for the nursing program was so great that UCN tightened up the entrance requirements. While the college can accept 20 nursing students at each site, at least 60 people apply each year at both campuses. “We have no shortage of nursing students. Nursing is an excellent profession. There are many different types of careers in nursing and this type of caring profession enables nurses to give back to their communities,” Zeran says. “We usually have about 30 graduates per year.” The program currently has a 35% attrition rate, and Zeran would like to see a significantly higher number of students
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could make this process easier for themselves as well as the health benefits. A teacher came by and reported to the students that they should “listen to the nurse” and that “she knows what she is talking about.” Then, the teacher said, “She saved my life.” I turned to her and looked perplexed, since I didn’t immediately recognize her. The teacher continued and said to me, “Well, you came to my house and helped me with my newborn and breastfeeding and at that time, you saved my life.” That was MY MOMENT. You just never know when you are going about your daily work as a nurse what a difference you can make. I have been a public health nurse for 30 years and a nurse for 32 years and that day has always stuck in my mind as one of those MOMENTS. Shelly Coupland Public health nurse, WRHA Access Transcona APPRECIATING PRECIOUS TIMES Over the years, I have worked in many different nursing settings including acute medical, medical rehab, palliative care, private nursing care and now, long-term care. As time passes, you see many things that teach you the value and the meaning of caring and how your words or actions have impact, on others and yourself. One such time for me was while working in long-term care. I was working on the Alzheimer’s Unit of Golden West Centennial Lodge. We had a lady on the unit who had been a registered nurse in her career. This particular day, staff and resident alike were talking about family members, moms, dads, siblings, etc. As I had approached this lady to give her the scheduled
NURSING MOMENTS
A new mom’s lifesaver: Shelly Coupland.
A LIFE-SAVING MOMENT My Moment in Nursing happened when I was at a busy Grade 4 immunization clinic one morning. It had been a very hectic morning immunizing Grade 4 students. I was busy explaining to a group of students in the library why they should be getting the hepatitis B needle, and ways they
Resource Nurse St Amant Centre
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