Internationally trained nurses will be able to take a nursing communication course tuition-free thanks to new provincial funding.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) has received $180,421 from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills ti oat for the Professional Communication for Internationally Educated Nurses (PCIEN) course. It is designed to assist internationally-educated nurses improve communication for entry into professional practice, expand health and idiomatic vocabulary, and increase understanding of culturally expected behaviours of the Canadian health care system.

The tuition-free course is a great option for students who are ready to grow their careers, said Aimee Begalka, dean of KPU鈥檚 Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation.

鈥淭he course is very practical and hands-on, with opportunities to work with standardized patients and receive coaching from both a language instructor and a nursing instructor,鈥� said Begalka. 鈥淧ast students have felt overwhelmingly positive about the class and the ways in which it helped them move to the next step in their career.鈥�

The funds were for KPU were part of an announcement of $4 million to support tuition-free Adult Basic Education and English Language Learning pathway programs at 11 public post-secondary institutions and Native Education College. The 11 public post-secondary institutions and NEC each offer unique approaches that reflect their region, student population and programming. Institutions may customize their programming. In this case, KPU is using the money for the course to help internationally trained nurses.

The latest PCEIN course started May 8 and runs until Aug. 5. To learn more about the KPU course, visit the on the KPU website.

鈥淥ur government recognizes the importance of helping people upgrade their language skills and advance in careers in high-priority sectors,鈥� said Anne Kang, minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. 鈥淚nvesting in this program at KPU is one of the important ways we are making it easier for internationally trained nurses to practice in B.C., so that people can access the care they need.鈥�

The need for nurses will only grow. According to the new B.C. Labour Market Outlook report, which looks at job trends for the next decade, said several factors account for the increased need for nurses, including population increase, an aging population requiring more health care and more complex care, and retirement of workers currently in the system.