Prince George, B.C. – The Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program (NCBNP) has received accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).

The NCBNP is a partnership among the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), the College of New Caledonia (CNC) and Northwest Community College (NWCC).

The first two years of the NCBNP are delived by CNC or NWCC, with the final two years delivered by UNBC. The program is offered in Quesnel, Prince George or Terrace for all four years, with graduates receiving a UNBC degree upon completion.

Prior to accreditation, the NCBNP was approved by the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia.

“They look at are we producing people who are well educated but safe to practice,” says Martha MacLeod, chair of the School of Nursing at UNBC.

“But what the CASN goes for, is are we excellent? Do we have the pieces in place that allow for excellence in our practice? And we’ve developed to the point that we’re now saying yes, we can stand with the best in Canada.”

First established in the 1996/97 school year, MacLeod says there have been over 1,200 graduates of the four year program since 2000.

She says 70% of those graduates go to work in northern, B.C.