Kamloops university launching new nursing program

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is launching a Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) program, which will be the first of its kind in the Interior Health region.

The new program comes as TRU continues to add in-demand degrees and programs to offer students more career opportunities and to help bolster local, regional and national healthcare systems and infrastructures.

This addition to the university’s School of Nursing is due to the BC Government’s 2021-2022 announcement to provide $5 million to public post-secondary institutions to begin the expansion of nursing seats throughout the province.

“It’s exciting to see a new program that addresses the needs of our region and reflects the strengths of our faculty,” says Brett Fairbairn, the president and vice-chancellor of TRU.

“Nurse-practitioners are leaders in healthcare delivery, and I’m confident that this new offering will equip students with the critical skills needed to support BC’s people.”

TRU’s full-time, two-year MN-NP program will provide students with a master’s level education that allows them to work as independent health practitioners.

Rani Srivastava, the dean of nursing at TRU, says the MN-NP program is long awaited, as it will help address the need in the region.

“We are heartened by the amazing support we have received from current practitioners to support our students and there’s a lot of interest from future students,” Srivastava adds.

Nurse practitioners can assess a patient’s health, prescribe medications, order and interpret tests, and make referrals to specialists. In BC, they work in primary care clinics, acute care, emergency departments, ambulatory clinics, walk-in clinics, residential care homes and hospice services.

Selina Robinson, the minister of post-secondary education and future skills, says the program will allow more nurses to train and stay close to home, expand health-care offerings to those who need it, and expand the skills nurses want to provide in primary and acute care settings.

TRU’s MN-NP program is currently under review by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Nurse Midwives (BCCNM) education program review committee.

The School of Nursing begins accepting applications for the MN-NP program on March 1 for its first cohort, pending BCCNM approval.

For more information, visit tru.ca/nursing.