Faster route to becoming an LPN in Kelowna

• 602 extra nursing seats for students province wide
• Boosting healthcare
• Advancing HCA education

Okanagan College will be the beneficiary of an additional 48 seats for Heath Care Assistants (HCA) wanting to enter the Licensed Practical Nursing Program (LPN) beginning in Jan. 2023.

This follows the announcement by the province of 602 new nursing seats to be added to the 2,000 currently in programs.

HCA’s who are already working in the system can now study to become an LPN through online courses in the first and second semesters, then join in-person with the other LPN students to finish the program.

“There’s a healthcare professional shortage across the province so this is really great news for the province to be able to support all the post-secondary in putting in more seats,” said Okanagan College Interim Dean of Science, Technology and Health Yvonne Moritz. “We can produce the graduates and serve our healthcare sector.”

She added this new ladder for HCA’s to become an LPN will be faster than before.

“We weren’t recognizing the education that HCA had. If they were going into a practical nursing program, they’d have to start at the beginning,” she said.

Moritz said the new Health and Sciences building is geared to train the influx of students.

“With the technology put in the new building, we’ll provide a great opportunity for students to learn in that setting and to use the building in ways we haven’t before in a more flexible way to help bring additional students into the program,” she said.

The changes will also see the college looking for additional instructors.

In a media release, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang, said nurses are an integral part of healthcare.

“Apart from providing life-saving care, nurses monitor and assess patients' conditions, act as patient advocates, educate and inspire,” she said. “Expanding the number of nursing seats means more students can pursue their dreams and launch a career that makes a difference in people's lives every day."

Annually Okanagan College graduates 100 LPN nurses, and those numbers could increase with the new merger.

The government provided $5 million in 2021-22 to begin the expansion of nursing seats in the province.

There are currently 40,000 registered nurses in B.C.