Manitoba announces one-time funding for nursing program in Neepawa

The Manitoba government hopes a one-time cash injection into a Neepawa-based nursing program will help keep grads in the community.

The province announced $2.1 million in funding for Assiniboine Community College’s practical nursing diploma program Monday.

The program will see 25 nurses graduate and is part of the government’s broader goal to add 2,000 health-care providers to the provincial health system, Health Minister Audrey Gordon said.

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“Getting more practical nurses into the health-care system means that more Manitobans will have access to care in hospitals and clinics,” Gordon said in a release.

Advanced Education and Training Minister Sarah Guillemard said the government is working to increase post-secondary education rates among rural Manitobans.

Gordon said nurses from rural communities are more likely to stay or return to rural health settings after graduating.