The Undergraduate Nurse Program enables nursing students to gain clinical experience in the health care system in special paid part-time or part-year positions that are additional to the normal staff complement.

A new agreement renews the commitment of government, health employers' commitment to the Undergraduate Nurse Program [pdf format 16.75 kb].

The program was launched In 2001 as an exciting new project aimed at providing employment opportunities for students in registered nursing programs. Called the Undergraduate Nurse Program, it came about when student nurses, employers, educators, the Registered Nurses' Association of BC and BCNU got together to develop a program that would:

• increase the recruitment of new graduates in BC by building an employment relationship prior to graduation
• offer paid part-tine or part-year employment to students to help offset the costs of nursing education
• provide student nurses with clinical nursing experience so that they will be job ready when they graduate
• foster a climate of professional renewal and give current registered nurses some hope that their workload will improve over time

Funding was provided by the Ministry of Health to create a limited number of undergraduate nurse positions throughout the province. The University of Victoria was involved to evaluate the project on Vancouver Island and in the Interior. Positive evaluations led the government to expand the program province wide.

BCNU and employers developed a letter of understanding to spell out the terms and conditions of employment. Key to the project was that the undergraduate nurse positions would be supernumerary - that is positions would be in addition to the normal staff complement on the ward or unit - and the undergraduates would work under the direction of a nursing unit manager or designate. The first hourly wage rate was $19.26 in 2001 and this has been increased in successive renegotiations.

A job description was created that matched the skills and knowledge of student nurses in their third and fourth year of education.

Here's what one student nurse said about the experience:
"It's meant that I have been able to get enough sleep and haven't been as stressed out about my living expenses. It allowed me to concentrate more and be happier when I'm at the hospital as opposed to being really tired and looking forward to another waitressing shift."

Student nurses can contact Health Authority Human Resources Departments to find out if positions are available and how to apply.

1. 2003 Garoth, L and Lougheed, MJ Feastibility and Outcomes of Paid Undergraduate Student positions for Designated Health Service Areas in BC - Year Two Final Report