British Columbia trains, recruits more allied health professionals

British Columbians will soon benefit from as many as 322 more allied health professionals supporting their healthcare needs as new training seats are added to public post-secondary institutions throughout BC Additionally, the Province is providing bursaries to internationally educated allied health professionals and existing health authority employees to meet increasing demand for health professionals in … Read more

A virtual celebration for BCIT Nursing students entering the healthcare community

BCIT Nursing Celebration

Mid-December is the end of examination period for most BCIT students but for 85 Level 6 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, this marked the completion of their program and the start of their career as an essential worker in our healthcare community. As BCIT is a major provincial contributor of nurses and applied health … Read more

A family history of nursing and the future of health care: BC Children’s Hospital COO and INSPIRE Campaign champion Sarah Bell says embracing possibility is key

With three generations of nurses behind her, Sarah Bell, a BCIT Nursing alumna, seemed destined to work in the noble profession herself. “Nursing is in my blood,” says Sarah, Chief Operating Officer of BC Children’s Hospital. “I’m a fourth-generation nurse in my family. At the heart of nursing is caring about people and that’s what … Read more

New BC Provincial Health Officer COVID-19 response orders announced November 7

For the latest COVID-19 information please refer to the BCIT COVID-19 website. As many of you will have heard, the Provincial Health Officer issued updated COVID-19 response orders today for the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions (with the exception of Hope, the Central Coast, and the Bella Coola Valley). These regions include Vancouver, Burnaby, … Read more

A heart for healthcare excellence: Award-winning cardiology nurse practitioner and BCIT alumna Sarah Waters puts patients first

A blonde woman in a white labcoat checking the blood pressure of a dark-haired woman in a blue medical gown.

When Sarah Waters was just 19 years old, she had the biggest event of her life. After an unexpected health emergency sent the BCIT alumna to surgery at St. Paul’s Hospital, she had a light-bulb moment while recovering in nursing care. “I thought, ‘I could do that’,” she recalls, and, just like that, her nursing … Read more

Newly launched BCIT COVID-19 course sees strong demand from healthcare workers in Canada and United States

BCIT sees strong demand for fast-track COVID19 FEPA course

It’s been a month since BCIT launched Focused Education Preparation Advancing Frontline Registered Nurses (FEPA), an open learning, fast-track education course for frontline healthcare workers to gain specialized skills to care for patients with COVID-19. More than 8,500 healthcare workers across Canada and the United States have registered, with 5,000 learners already completing the course. … Read more

BCIT community teams up to make ear savers for healthcare workers

From 3D printers to virtual reality rooms, BCIT MediaWorks was a self-service production facility offering drop-in help to students, faculty, and staff at BCIT – until COVID-19 hit. As BCIT transitioned to primarily online classes, this freed up the 3D printing capacity in MediaWorks to temporarily shift to making ear savers for frontline healthcare workers … Read more

BCIT Nursing alumnus-turned-instructor offers support as frontline healthcare worker

BCIT Nursing Instructor Pawan Varaich

In a time when Health Officials are urging people to stay home and practice social (physical) distancing, communities across the country are finding creative ways to share their encouragement and appreciation for the selfless and compassionate healthcare workers who are tirelessly working around the clock to care for those impacted by COVID-19. Our industry partner … Read more

BCIT launches fast-track education course to support COVID-19 healthcare workers

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has created an online, self-directed fast-track education course to help frontline registered nurses and healthcare providers acquire the focused knowledge needed to provide critically-needed support to patients with COVID-19. This open-learning course, “Focused Education Preparation Advancing Frontline Registered Nurses” (FEPA), is specifically designed for registered nurses in specialty … Read more

BCIT rallies support for healthcare community

Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement of a new plan that mobilizes businesses and manufacturers to help fight the spread of COVID-19 and boosts the health sector’s stockpile of medical supplies, the BCIT School of Health Sciences is joining efforts by donating medical supplies and lending out equipment to support the Provincial emergency health and … Read more