After receiving approval from the Registered Nurses Association of BC and gaining UNBC Senate approval, the UNBC Nursing program will offer a new master’s degree program starting this fall that will educate family nurse practitioners.

The Family Nurse Practitioner master’s program is a practice oriented, theory-based degree that will prepare graduates to be independent practitioners, leaders, role models and educators in primary health care. Coursework will be completed over two years (full-time) or four years (part-time). Upon graduation, these advanced practice nurses will care for people of all age groups from a general family practice perspective. They will be involved in diagnosing, prescribing, ordering diagnostic tests, and managing diseases, disorders and conditions. Although the role of the family nurse practitioner includes some activities in common with physicians, they are not substitute physicians. In fact, most family nurse practitioners work in teams with physicians, nurses, and other allied health professions.
 

The Northern Health Authority is now beginning to employ graduates of nurse practitioner programs and it will continue to expand nurse practitioner employment over the coming years. A key feature of the UNBC MScN: Family Nurse Practitioner program will be to ensure graduates are particularly educated to work in northern communities and improve the health care of northerners.

“Degree programs geared to educating nurse practitioners are new to BC, but other provinces have had experience with nurse practitioners for many years,” says Dr. Ian Blue, Chair of the Nursing program. “Experiences from throughout Canada have shown that nurse practitioners are particularly well-equipped to work in rural communities and in hospitals like PGRH that serve a large region. We’re traveling to communities throughout the region to present information about the program and get feedback from health care professionals.”

The nurse practitioner program is adding to UNBC’s recent expansion of teaching and research that is oriented to the health care needs of northern and rural communities. Other examples include the Northern Medical Program, a master’s degree in Disability Management, the expanded UNBC Nursing program, and the new BC Rural and Remote Health Research Network.

July 19 – Prince Rupert

July 20 – Masset, Port Clements, and Queen Charlotte City

August 8 – Terrace and Kitimat

August 9 – New Aiyansh, Hazelton, and Smithers

August 10 – Houston and Granisle

August 11 – Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James, and Vanderhoof