It's a new era of nursing in Chatham-Kent.
Leadership from St. Clair College and the University of Windsor have come together to sign a renewed memorandum of understanding that will transform nursing education in Chatham-Kent.
The renewed memorandum of understanding will now see the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered at St. Clair College's Chatham campus.
The collaborative nursing program partnership began in 2001, with the first MOU being signed between St. Clair and the University in 2012.
Initially, students enrolled in the program completed their first two years at the college's Chatham campus, followed by the third year at the University of Windsor and culminating with fourth-year clinical placements.
However, with the signing of the new MOU, the entire four-year BScN program will now be available at the Chatham campus.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift, Michael Silvaggi, Vice President of Academic and Registrar at St. Clair College, says at the end of the day those in the Chatham program tend to live in that municipality.
"It's the traditional approach when we look at our Chatham enrolment for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the program is comprised in Chatham and obviously tends to attract individuals who live in Chatham-Kent, quite simply."
He says they were hearing from students that it was hard to split the program between Chatham and Windsor.
"Without that there's always this bit of unknown that can certainly impact the way an individual learns, lives, and so forth. So we really wanted to ensure that students can plan their lives accordingly."
Silvaggi says there has always been a large interest in the nursing program.
"I've always shared from an admission's perspective anyone that's looking for a possible career in nursing, nursing is one of our most competitive programs. So there is always, always strong competition for those limited seats that we do have."
The MOU signing took place on Thursday at the Chatham Kent Health Alliance.
St. Clair College President, Patti France, stated that the vast majority of Chatham-based nursing students end up working in that community upon graduation, and it makes more sense to keep them in that area throughout their education.