Next year will see a new course offered at Portage la Prairie's Red River College campus.

"It's a Bachelor of Nursing program," explains campus manager Guy Moffat. "In the hierarchy of nursing, there are Healthcare Aids -- we also provide that program, then a licensed Practical Nursing (LPN), then RN, then BN, then Masters of Nursing, and a Nurse Practitioner."

Beds and manechin for trainingHe notes the fall of 2018 will be for those who wish to start into nursing, and after three years they'll have a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Moffat adds there's such a lack of nurses in the RHA right now that he's convinced he could fill the initial seating five times over.

Moffat says the Portage location's happy to see a permanent addition to their programming. A program that's in such high demand will be here all of the time will help make Portage a college town. Preparations include changes to the room where the Bachelor of Nursing program was before, additional lome lab equipment, and some evening programming. This will enable those looking to enter the BN program to obtain their prerequisites at the Portage campus, including anatomy, physiology, and psychology.

Staff-wise, additions will also be made including instructors equivalent to a 1.5 increase. With more staff and students, it's a win-win situation for the college that's certain to help them grow.

Guy Moffat with more training equipmentMoffat says the local campus' reputation will definitely benefit by this level of programming. It's a big feather in the campus' cap to have nursing available, he says. Moffat adds the way the program's set up, anyone who's directly coming into nursing from off the street will be able to join in year one and leave in the third year with the Bachelor of Nursing, as well as the allowing LPN status nurses to move into the Bachelor of Nursing. This means that years two and three will allow for intakes. In other wordfs, it's not just for those inexperienced in nursing who can study, but those already involved as well.