A new agreement between two post-secondary schools will ensure nursing students studying in Chatham no longer need to commute to complete their degree.
Leadership from St. College and the University of Windsor gathered at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on Thursday to sign an updated memorandum of understanding.
The new agreement ensures nursing students can complete their entire four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree program at the St. Clair College Thames Campus in Chatham.
Initially, students enrolled in the program completed their first two years at the college’s Chatham campus, followed by the third year at the University of Windsor, culminating with fourth-year clinical placements.
Lori Marshall, the president and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, said the agreement will help to ensure more nurses are living and working within the municipality.
“This is a wonderful benefit, not only to the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance but every health provider in our community that offers placements to students,” said Marshall. “We know that people tend to choose where they end up practicing based on where they went to school. So what better way for us to retain all that smart talent that we’ve got in our community.”
The collaborative nursing program partnership between the two institutions began in 2001, with the first memorandum of understanding signed in 2012.
The nursing program at St. Clair College sees an enrollment of around 200 students each year. Approximately 60-80 of those students complete their studies in Chatham.
“I think it’s important that they build relationships and connections with local health facilities and our hospital, so they have that emotional connection as well so that they not only stay in Chatham-Kent… but they’ll stay and work in Chatham-Kent,” said St. Clair College President Patti France.
