Holland College and the community of West Prince are partnering to offer a two-year Practical Nursing program in October of this year in O’Leary, P.E.I.  This is the second time the program has been offered in West Prince. First offered in Tignish in 2005, the program was deemed highly successful with 13 graduates obtaining employment in their field.

“We are extremely excited to see the Practical Nursing program offered once again in West Prince,” stated Dean Getson, a member of the Holland College Board of Governors and a Career Development Practitioner and Site Leader at PEI Career Development Services in Bloomfield.   “Community-based training is an essential ingredient in preparing today’s workforce and this offering would not be possible without the ongoing partnerships between Holland College and rural working groups such as the West Prince Education Task Force Committee.”  Getson added that responding to the training needs of Island communities is a primary goal of Holland College, and this partnership and program demonstrates that commitment.

The college’s two year Practical Nursing program blends both theory and clinical practice. Learning is enhanced with simulated practice in a laboratory setting with the opportunity for students to develop and demonstrate the skills they require for the clinical setting. At the end of the program, students have the opportunity to complete 160 hours of practicum in a clinical site, located as much as possible in the West Prince area, with a Licensed Practical Nurse as a preceptor. This part of the program is designed to enhance entry-level skills and prepare the graduate for a successful entrance to the workplace. Program graduates are eligible to write the national examination (CPNE), the successful completion of which qualifies a student as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Eligible individuals may be able to access government financial assistance to pursue this training program.  Through the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement, the Skills Development program helps eligible individuals pay for a portion of the costs related to skills training while enrolled in a training program from a registered institution.