B.C. Funds UBC Okanagan Aboriginal Nursing Project

On hand for Thursday's cheque presentation at UBC Okanagan were, from left, Dr. Joan Bassett-Smith, Director of the School of Nursing; Donna Kurtz, Assoc. Professor of Nursing; Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Al Horning; Dr. Carol McFadyen, Assoc. Director of the School of Nursing; and Dr. Joan Bottorff, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development.

On hand for Thursday's cheque presentation at UBC Okanagan were, from left, Dr. Joan Bassett-Smith, Director of the School of Nursing; Donna Kurtz, Assoc. Professor of Nursing; Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Al Horning; Dr. Carol McFadyen, Assoc. Director of the School of Nursing; and Dr. Joan Bottorff, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development.

On Dec. 6, 2007, the University of British Columbia Okanagan received $34,055 as part of the B.C. Government’s Aboriginal Nursing Strategies, a provincial initiative that has provided $500,000 in 2007/2008 to increase the number of Aboriginal communities with quality nursing care and to increase the number of Aboriginal nurses working in B.C. communities, Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Al Horning announced today.

“This project will make UBC O’s nursing program a draw for Aboriginal nursing students and nursing students interested in working in Aboriginal communities,” said Horning, speaking at a cheque presentation on the UBC Okanagan campus Dec. 6. “Increasing the number of graduating Aboriginal nurses is an important step in assuring health care that is focused on the needs of our Aboriginal communities.”

Read the Ministry of Health news release.