The Nunavut Nursing Program: A Retrospective Reflection

Abstract

The Dalhousie Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, Arctic Nursing) program, delivered through Nunavut Arctic College, admitted its first students in 2000. There have been forty-eight graduates, seventeen of whom are Inuit. The Arctic nursing program’s focus on Indigenous education is unique in many ways due to the remote setting and relationship to the territory of Nunavut. The program is currently undergoing a curriculum revision. As part of the review process, we have evaluated and reflected on the expectations and goals of the program over the years, as well as on our successes and disappointments. In this report, we share our journey, the challenges and the solutions, and the students’ perspectives on the program’s benefits. This report is part of a special collection from members of the University of the Arctic Thematic Network on Northern Nursing Education. The collection explores models of decentralized and distributed university-level nursing education across the Circumpolar North. This report is part of a special collection from members of the University of the Arctic Thematic Network on Northern Nursing Education. The collection explores models of decentralized and distributed university-level nursing education across the Circumpolar North.