{"id":339787,"date":"2026-03-20T21:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/339787\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T21:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:44:10","slug":"northeast-b-c-college-opens-new-health-lab-to-help-meet-demand-for-health-care-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/339787\/","title":{"rendered":"Northeast B.C. college opens new health lab to help meet demand for health-care workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

Northern Lights College celebrated the opening of a new health lab at its Fort St. John, B.C., campus\u00a0this week. <\/p>\n

The six-bed training classroom is a dedicated space for nursing and health-care students, part of a larger strategy to train professionals locally.<\/p>\n

“We feel it’s important that we do everything we can to advocate to expand programming in the North and have a more diverse array of programs,” said Nicole Dahlen, dean of health sciences and human services. <\/p>\n

“It’s really important to have classes that can be accessible from people’s home communities, including lab classes.” <\/p>\n

Students will no longer have to make the drive to the Dawson Creek campus to complete their lab work. <\/p>\n

Tara Hyland-Russell, the college’s vice-president of academics and research, said the drive was a barrier for students, who were making the trip multiple times a week. <\/p>\n

“We have such a high need in our region for health-care training,” she said. <\/p>\n

“We didn’t want to lose a single student, a single, future health-care professional. And so we looked to see what space we had here.” <\/p>\n

Hyland-Russell says the college has plans to expand course offerings this year, launching a pharmacy technician program in August, while a mental health and substance abuse program is expected to start in November. <\/p>\n

“We spent two years doing a deep dive into the community needs,” she said. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe new health lab will support a wide array of student training, but is very important for those studying to become nurses or health care aides. (Tom Summer\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Plans are underway to add training beds at its Chetwynd and Fort Nelson campuses, explained Hyland-Russell, as the college serves communities as far as the Northern Rockies. <\/p>\n

The campus is also home to the northern\u00a0baccalaureate nursing\u00a0program, a collaboration between the University of Northern British Columbia, Northern Health and\u00a0Northern Lights College. <\/p>\n

Dahlen says it’s important to offer pathways into nursing and other health professions, making education accessible for those who are just graduating high school or adult learners looking for a career change. <\/p>\n

“Working in the health industry is a wonderful place to have a career,” she said. <\/p>\n

“It can be very rewarding. And I think that it’s important for people to realize the diversity of different, career options there are in health and to consider them.” <\/p>\n

Subscribe to CBC\u2019s Fort St. John Weekly<\/a> for a round-up of the best news and stories from B.C.\u2019s Peace and Northern Rockies.<\/p>\n

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