PROVINCE INVESTS $15M TO SUPPORT NURSING IN B.C.

VICTORIA – B.C. will provide $15 million this year for its provincial Nursing Strategy to recruit, retain and educate the best qualified nurses, Health Minister George Abbott announced today as he celebrated National Nursing Week 2008 with nurses from across the province.

“National Nursing Week is a perfect time for us to reflect on the diverse roles that nurses take on in our health-care system and to celebrate the great care that they provide every day to patients across the province,” said Abbott. “With this year’s funding, we have raised our total investment in B.C.’s Nursing Strategy to $189 million since 2001. This has allowed us to improve opportunities for Aboriginal nursing, build internship programs for new graduates and support leadership opportunities for nurses in each health authority. ”

The Province’s investment in the B.C. Nursing Strategy has provided funding to a broad range of areas and has allowed for the creation of new educational spaces, offered nurses around the province opportunities in continuing education and career advancement, funded projects to ensure that nursing care meets the health needs of Aboriginal communities, and established workplace initiatives to support the well-being of nurses. B.C.’s Nursing Strategy supports registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners.

One of the main focuses of B.C.’s Nursing Strategy is education. In March, the Province met a 2008 throne speech commitment by launching a three-year accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program option at the B.C. Institute of Technology. This will enable students to graduate in three years, with the first intake of students expected in August.

“We have already nearly doubled the number of nursing education spaces in our province and are continuing to expand opportunities for student nurses,” Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell said. “B.C. is graduating record numbers of nurses, with nearly 13,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded by our public post-secondary institutions since 2001. I congratulate the thousands of graduates who have worked so hard to join the nursing profession, and who are dedicating their lives to helping improve the health of people throughout B.C.”

As of April 2008, there were 41,269 nurses with a practising licence in British Columbia, up by more than 10 per cent from 2001. The total includes 32,225 registered nurses, 101 nurse practitioners, 6,741 licensed practical nurses and 2,202 registered psychiatric nurses.

“Nurses across Vancouver Island and across B.C. make invaluable contributions to our health-care system every day,” said Dr. Lynn Stevenson, chief of professional practice and nursing for the Vancouver Island Health Authority. “National Nursing Week is a great opportunity for us to recognize that nurses are an integral part of the inter-professional health-care team.”

This year, National Nursing Week runs from May 12 to 18 and reprises last year’s theme: “Think You Know Nursing? Take a Closer Look.” B.C. has also linked its 2008 National Nursing Week celebration to BC150 activities across the province and is celebrating 150 years of nursing in British Columbia.

Since 1985, the second week of May has been designated National Nursing Week in Canada to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12. National Nursing Week provides Canadians with an opportunity to celebrate nursing and to honour nurses across the country.

For more information about B.C.’s Nursing Strategy, please visit www.health.gov.bc.ca/ndirect/nstrategies.html.

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Michelle Stewart Communications Director Ministry of Health 250 812-5571 (cell) 250 952-1887 (media line)	Linda O’Connor Communications Manager Ministry of Advanced Education 250 952-6400 250 812-4418 (cell)

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