dents into the role of a working
nurse and learn what expecta-
tions will be placed on them. The
percepterships take place with
eight weeks in a small hospital
_ and eight weeks i in a larger hospi-

tal. .
After successfully completing

the program the students will be |

able to qualify as registered
nurses. They will also be able to

enter third year university to get

a Bachelor’s degree in nursing,
sciences, or the arts in sociology.
According to the students,
they are many financial. consider-
ations in ‘deciding to start or
return to school. Some said they
could not get sponsorship through
Canada Employment because
nursing is not an occupation with
a shortage of qualified people, and

because the nursing program is |
considered a university transfer.

program.
Going back to

parent’s: income is not taken into |

consideration. She also said that
in many cases the parent’s money
is tied up and unavailable for use.

~ Program coordinator Johanne
Fort says expenses are high
because the students need to
travel so much and they pay all
their own expenses, including
those during their preceptership.
However, the balancing. factor is

that local students can complete

their education in Terrace,
instead of going away to Prince

_ George or the south where. their
"expenses would be even higher.

Some of the: students have

come from as far as Alberta, Que-

bec, and Nova Scotia to take this
course. Fort says it could be
because all the nursing schools
have two year waiting lists.

NWCC is a new schoo! and until

now has not had a waiting list.

|

NWCC is modelled on the College
-of New Caledonia course, It has

four full-time instructors in Ter-
race as well as one. full-time
instructor for second year stu-
dents and one part-time instruc- —
tor .for first year students in
Prince Rupert, where many of the.
students get their clinical experi-

‘ence. Instructors are registered “

nurses and should have a degree
in nursing or science, although
nursing is preferred. Fort says -

that.a teaching certificate is an

asset, but nurses do considerable .

~ teaching on the job, giving ther |

teaching experience although it
may not be formalized.
Students in the second year

| call themselves the guinea pigs,

or model. They say they can

‘ already see the progress made in

the program between them and

the current first year students.

All the students say
the course causes a lot
of stress. It is a very

school causes: hardship
not only on the stu-
dents, but on the family
around them, especially
if the student is from
out of town. In the
words of one mature

wit is a strain on the family of anyone
taking any kind of education, and the
system of student loans and bursaries °
is difficult to understand and conquer.

heavy workload with |
about three hours
_ homework’ per night.
‘One ‘second year ‘stu-
-dent. said it is better for
them because they are

student: "You' use up

your savings, you use —

. up your RRSP and you borrow
from your family." Besides the
’ eourse fees there are the day-to-

day expenses of living, and in -
some cases the cost of supporting

a family. The younger students
‘take exception when someone
says it is harder on the mature
students. They say it is a strain
on the family of anyone taking
any kind of education, and that
the: system of student loans and
bursaries is difficult to under-
stand and conquer.

Most mature students said
they could not get a student loan
because they were married and
supported by their spouse. Some

-_ of the younger ones could not get

a student loan because their par-

ents. make too much money.
According to one student, you

have to be out of school for more,

than three. years before your

She said people apply to many -
’ schools and go to where ever they

are accepted. —

Although each college builds |

its own program, all schools are
regulated by the Registered
Nurses Association of B.C., the
body: that sets standards. Stu-
dents who go from one college
program to another would need to
be reviewed and placement set on
a individual basis by the receiving
college, as not all programs.cover
same sequence of courses.

Fort says the main reason the
program at NWCC starts in
November rather than September

is to be off-syne with the College —

of New Caledonia. in Prince
George; that way, not all students
from Prince George and Terrace
are trying to find places to serve

‘precepterships at the same time.

The nursing program at

in their fifth trimester
and-can see the light at

the end of the tunnel.

The students said they are -

pleased with the focus of nursing
- today. They find it a more holistic

approach, as opposed to strictly
medical. Nurses deal with the
patient as a whole, as well as the
patient’s family.

When questions about the
future role of nurses, today’s

nursing students said they will be

teachers, motivators, practising
preventative and community
medicine. They say they see more
home care as a way of the future.

_ Fort says those at NWCC who
are involved in the program are
excited about it and its impact on —
the northwest. She says they are '
looking forward to the initial.
students taking part in the 1993
graduation ceremonies at NWCC.

-—- Diana English

Terrace Review — May 15,1992 33