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By Liam Verster
Nurse Education Program

Nurse training program to support health care in Vernon

Jun 16, 2025 | 10:07 AM

A program to help nurses gain their credentials will be supporting the local health care system.

The BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) says it will be training 20 new Practical Nurses in Vernon and the Central Island through its educational bridging program.

The students will participate in an accelerated, 51-week Practical Nurse Training Program, allowing them to transfer their credits from previous Health Care Assistant (HCA), Resident Care Aide (RCA), and Registered Health Care Aide (RHCA) education and become a Practical Nurse.

“This initiative not only empowers many HCAs to advance their skills and take the next steps in their careers, but it also helps address the ongoing workforce shortages in B.C.’s seniors’ care sector” BCCPA Sr. Director of Programs and Organizational Development Snezana Ristovski said.

The training, provided by Discovery Community College, will begin in August of 2025, with the goal of having the students upgraded to Practical Nurses within a year, and able to enter the workforce.

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The BCCPA’s Practical Nurse Training Program was piloted in 2024, and is supported through provincial and federal grants.

by Liam Verster
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