BCIT was honoured to host Dr. Leigh Chapman, Chief Nursing Officer of Canada, at the Burnaby Campus for a tour and townhall event with students and faculty from the School of Health Sciences.
Dr. Chapman is an inspirational leader working to shape the future of nursing across the country. With an exceptional nursing career spanning over 20 years, and leadership experience in diverse healthcare service areas— from community care, research, academic, regulatory, to professional practice environments—she is passionate about nursing advocacy and improving Canadian healthcare.
As a part of her visit, Dr. Chapman participated in a townhall session to share more about her role in the Canadian health care system, and the Nursing retention toolkit—a resource for nurses by nurses.
Dr. Chapman’s visit comes at a significant time when the healthcare industry is faced with a critical shortage of nurses, both locally and nationally. With BCIT as a major producer of nurses and other healthcare professionals in BC, Dr. Chapman’s presence provided inspiration to many students and faculty who are the cornerstone of the BC health system.
In addition to the townhall, Dr. Chapman toured the innovative Health Sciences Centre that provides state-of-the-art technology and hands-on learning to many students in the School of Health Sciences.
Bridging the gap in BC’s healthcare labour shortages
BCIT offers health education unmatched by other post-secondary institutions. BCIT Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates have a 99%* employment rate, and the BSN is one of the largest nursing programs in BC. In addition to the BSN program, BCIT also offers 10 post-graduate programs related to specialty nursing needs in BC.
(*Source: BCIT Student Outcomes Reports for Degree Graduates (2023 Edition), prepared by BCIT Institutional Research (IR) Office)
Featured image caption: Dr. Leigh Chapman (centre) meets with members of School of Health Sciences leadership and faculty.