A patient is being treated in one of Humber College’s nursing labs. A third-year student places a stethoscope to their chest as Premier Doug Ford looks on. 

“This is amazing,” he said, “Every person in Toronto has had a loved one in the hospital. I see the work that you do.”

Humber College welcomed Premier Ford to its nursing labs Wednesday to showcase what the college has to offer its nursing students.

The labs, of course, use simulated patients – medical mannequins.

Other members of government came to show support for Humber's intended independent nursing degree, including Minister of Colleges and Universities, Ross Romano.

They were joined by Etobicoke MPPs Kinga Surma and Christine Hogarth, and Mississauga Centre MPP Natalia Kusendova.

“It’s going to even the playing field,” Romano said. He went on to say that it was an obvious decision to have nursing degrees to be offered independently by colleges, especially since Ontario colleges have the expertise to do so.

Colleges can now apply to offer nursing independently of any university. Humber’s program is currently run in partnership with the University of New Brunswick, using Humber faculty and facilities, while adhering to UNB’s curriculum. The successful partnership has been in place for almost 20 years.

Humber's independent nursing program, if approved, will be offered in 2021.

The first independent Humber Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Second Entry Preparation cohort would commence in January 2021. This program offers students with previous post-secondary education a pathway into the nursing profession. The first independent Humber Bachelor of Science - Nursing cohort would start in September 2021.

“This has been a long time in the making. We know colleges have been able to offer bachelor’s degrees since 2002,” said Humber College President Chris Whitaker. “We have a wealth of experience in offering our own degree programs in other disciplines, with approximately 4,700 full-time students currently studying in 27 undergraduate degrees.”

The exception was nursing and Humber was a strong advocate for this change.

Ashley Moore, a third-year nursing student, is finishing up a placement in the cardiology department of Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.

Her Humber education has been excellent, she says, and accessible.

“Faculty, professors, everyone – they’re all nurses and they are absolutely amazing and sharing their experiences and really getting onto our level,” said Moore, adding that kind of accessibility is crucial to preparing future nurses.

She will get a joint degree from Humber College and University of New Brunswick when she graduates.

If the independent Humber nursing program is approved, future graduates will receive a Bachelor of Science - Nursing degree from Humber College.