Lambton College held a launch party for its new four-year registered nursing degree program Saturday.
A few dozen people, including prospective students, listened as college officials described the concepts, critical thinking and clinical judgment-focused degree starting next September, amid blue ribbons, a balloon and a pinata.
Pivoting to a Sarnia-only program from one where students split time at the college and at the University of Windsor is important for a number of reasons, said nursing professor Liz Seabrook.
“Probably the main one is there’s a demand in our community for nurses,” she said.
Under the existing program — to be phased out as the new one takes effect — students complete their placements in Windsor and are less likely to stay in Sarnia, she said.
“So we’ve lost those opportunities here for them.”
Bluewater Health and various community agencies in Sarnia will offer placements under the new program, she said.
Bluewater Health and others were also helpful in designing the program, made possible after Ontario changed the rules in 2020 to allow provinces to offer nursing degrees without university partners, she said.
Having leaders and critical thinkers who can think on their feet is key, Seabrook said she heard from a committee on program development.
Bluewater Health representatives were also at the launch party, part of the college’s annual fall open house — expected to draw 400 to 500 prospective students after being on hold since 2019 amid COVID-19.
“We do need more nurses,” said Bluewater Health chief nursing executive Shannon Landry, adding Bluewater Health “will be committed to finding placements for those students at the hospital.”
The hospital group also had a booth at the open house to show jobs in healthcare are in demand, she said.
“We’re going to need multiple classes of graduates to fill the need, just in our own community,” Seabrook said, adding a two-year program is planned to launch in 2024 at Lambton for registered practical nursing graduates to transition “into the (registered nursing) role, if they so choose.”
Also at the open house were guided tours, help with applications, and presentations from petrochemical company representatives about trades and technology.
“How important they are to the pipeline of employment here in Sarnia-Lambton, as well as all over the province,” college spokesperson Diana Forbes said.
It was exciting to welcome a swell of people to the college, she said.
“We’ve been finding students this year are doing their research online before they come,” she said. “They’re very familiar with Lambton College and what we stand for and we’re just happy to have them here.”
The fall open house geared to prospective students is different from an open house held in the spring that’s more about inviting the community to see what’s happening at the college, she said.
An in-person version of that open house also returned, earlier this year, from a hiatus amid COVID-19.