Program links students to nursing home jobs

Nova Scotia Community College is launching a program to help adults without a high school diploma get careers in nursing professions

Bernadette Julian has been holed up in her office at the Nova Scotia Community College’s Sydney campus for the past month, drawing up lesson plans and arranging student mentorships.

Julian has been teaching health services at the college for 12 years, but this year, she is welcoming an entirely new type of student.

Beginning in October, NSCC offered a tuition-free program funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development. The program, known as Link, is open to adults who do not have a high school diploma and want to train for careers working in nursing and private homes.

Julian is excited to teach the new two-year course, which combines high school diploma requirements with the continuing-care curriculum.

 “My role is not just to teach the students the curriculum. It’s about providing guidance and direction, and sharing my experience in the industry. I will need to build each individual’s self-esteem and self-awareness.”

Classes hold 20 students, and incorporate both in-class learning and practical work in the field. Outside the classroom, students will be required to complete 100 hours of home support work and 230 hours of long-term care work at nursing homes.

Nova Scotia developed the program to address a growing demand for continuing care workers. Statistics Canada found Nova Scotia has the second-largest percentage of senior citizens in the country.

A 2007 study by the Health Care Human Resources Council estimated that the demand for continuing-care workers in Nova Scotia could rise from about 18,500 in 2006 to as many as 34,000 by 2026.

On the other hand, about 100,000 Nova Scotians have not earned a high school diploma, says an official with the provincial Department of Labour and Workforce Development.

“We thought it would be a nice fit to combine the two. We’re helping both sides – the people needing care, and the people needing education and job training,” says spokesperson Chrissy White.

Julian is not surprised by the province’s decision to create the program for students who have not finished high school. She used to teach the precursor to continuing care, which was called the personal care work program. It had no diploma requirement.

“I have the maturity to know that people without a diploma are certainly acceptable candidates to become continuing-care workers,” says Julian. “I couldn’t be more excited that we now have the opportunity to provide them both with their Grade 12 and continuing-care certificates.”

 “Here’s an example of the government doing the right thing.”

Julian is looking beyond the benefits to the province and sees a great potential in her new students. She thinks they can learn not only to empower themselves, but also to empower their patients.

“I hope they will be able to use the experiences of their own lives to recognize the potential in their patients. I hope in building their own self-esteem, they will then be able to act with empathy and give their patients dignity.”

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