Assiniboine Community College’s practical nursing program is expanding by making its Portage la Prairie site a permanent location. (ACC / HANDOUT)
Nursing students in southwestern Manitoba will have more opportunities to further their learning and enter the healthcare field with the expansion of Assiniboine Community College’s practical nursing program.
Ten additional seats are being created starting in September 2022 when ACC transitions its program site in Portage la Prairie to a permanent site. The expansion will mean an intake of 35 students into the program every two years.
“We appreciate the [provincial] government’s support, allowing us to make a permanent home for our nursing program in Portage while expanding capacity to educate more students on their paths to careers in healthcare,” said Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine Community College, based in Brandon.
The college reallocated funding for the expanded nursing seats upon provincial approval to make the Portage la Prairie site permanent. The location, which focuses on rural applicants and rural placements, has been used for practical nursing through contracts and rotating programs consistently since 2002.
“We know that the majority of the students are from the area and we believe having the permanent site will be beneficial for both of our organizations,” said René Ouellette, vice president of human resources at Southern Health. “We are really pleased to continue working with ACC on student placements and hopefully continued success recruiting upon graduation.”
