College, university to offer full four-year nursing program in Chatham

To ease travel burdens and help keep home-grown health professionals in their community, St. Clair College and the University of Windsor are teaming to offer full four-year nursing degrees in Chatham.

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Leaders from both institutions were on hand Oct. 5 at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance to sign a memorandum of understanding for the initiative.

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The collaborative nursing program partnership started in 2001, with the first memorandum of understanding signed in 2012.

Students initially completed their first two years at St. Clair’s Chatham campus, followed by a third year at the university and fourth-year clinical placements.

Now, the entire four-year bachelor of nursing program will be available at the Chatham campus, so students won’t have to commute or relocate to complete their education.

St. Clair College president Patti France said many students end up working in the community in which they study, and never return to Chatham-Kent.

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“For our Chatham students, it was a burden and a hardship for some to just have to travel,” she said. “When you have to literally pick up your things and move, even though it’s only an hour, for some students, it was just very, very difficult.”

Students benefit from having a college and university experience, France added.

“I really think it’s the best of both worlds,” she said. “College has always been known for applied learning. . . and university is certainly known for their theory, and math and science.

“A lot of colleges would have their own (program), but then I think you’re competing with one another and you’re not necessarily maximizing all the resources and supporting each other as much as you could.”

France also noted the program helps familiarize students with various facets of the Chatham-Kent health-care system.

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University of Windsor president Robert Gordon called it a “transformative partnership,” and a driving force for positive change.

“Our shared vision is to help shape a brighter future,” he said. “(And) reaffirming that commitment to a new memorandum of understanding, one that solidifies the ongoing incredible partnership.”

Lori Marshall, the hospital’s president and chief executive, said it was a great way to keep nurses in the community.

“We know that people tend to choose where they end up practicing based on where they went to school,” she said. “What better way for us to retain all that really smart talent that we’ve got in our community.”

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