Newfoundland and Labrador has always depended on nurses who are resilient, resourceful, and deeply rooted in their communities.

At Memorial University’s Faculty of Nursing, we are building an education system that reflects that same spirit: provincial in reach, strong in standards and grounded in community care.

I understand this deeply. I grew up in a rural fishing community where care, hard work and looking out for one another was a daily practice – something learned early, often while helping my father and family. Like many in the province, my own path required travel to St. John’s, persistence and balancing family responsibilities while finding my way through higher education. Memorial University became not just a place of study, but a place where I discovered how to carry my passions and experience into a future shaped by service, leadership and care.

Each year, approximately 363 students begin Memorial’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Collaborative Option) Program throughout the province — at two St. John’s sites (the Faculty of Nursing and the Centre for Nursing Studies); Memorial’s satellite sites in Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and the Western Regional School of Nursing in Corner Brook.

Our focus is clear: prepare compassionate, highly skilled nurses who are ready to serve communities across Newfoundland and Labrador today and for generations to come.

Aligning education with opportunity

Nursing education must evolve alongside the needs of students and communities. Over the past several years, we have taken a thoughtful, data-informed approach to aligning our program structure with where students thrive and where the province needs them most.

We continue to maintain full undergraduate seat capacity across all sites while strengthening retention and ensuring that every available seat leads to a successful graduate. By aligning seats with demonstrated student demand, we are reinforcing sustainability and building a strong, stable nursing workforce pipeline.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Accelerated Option) Program continues in Corner Brook, while our four-year pathway remains the preferred route for many applicants across the province.

The goal is simple: more successful students, more graduates, stronger communities.

A truly provincial model

Our distributed model is one of our greatest strengths.

Along with our students in St. John’s and Corner Brook, students can “learn where they live” in satellite sites in Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, reducing relocation barriers and strengthening local health systems.

This spring marks a milestone as the first graduating cohorts from these satellite sites cross Memorial University’s convocation stage. Nearly all have secured employment in their home regions.

When nurses are educated in their own communities, they stay. They lead. They build continuity of care close to home.

This year also marks a powerful first in experiential learning. Nursing students studying in Grand Falls-Windsor are completing placements at the Lionel Kelland Hospice — the first hospice of its kind in the province, integrated directly into undergraduate nursing education.

Opened in 2023, the hospice supports individuals nearing the end of life and provides palliative care and medical assistance in dying services in partnership with N.L. Health Services. Through this collaboration, students gain hands-on experience delivering compassionate, dignified care at one of life’s most profound moments.

In Labrador, our partnership with the Innu Midwifery Program at Memorial’s Labrador Campus represents another step forward. Together, we are learning, working and making space for new possibilities for midwifery in Newfoundland and Labrador — strengthening culturally grounded care and expanding access in northern communities.

These partnerships reflect what modern nursing education must be: collaborative, community-rooted and responsive.

Excellence that endures

Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Collaborative Option) Program has achieved four consecutive, maximum seven-year accreditations from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, representing 28 years at the highest national standard. The Faculty of Nursing also holds a seven-year, 100 per cent approval rating from the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Students receive the same, high-quality education and clinical preparation at every site.

Whether a student studies in St. John’s, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Grand Falls-Windsor or Corner Brook, they graduate prepared, competent and confident.

Expanding leadership in practice and research

The Faculty of Nursing is strengthening leadership across the full continuum of nursing practice.

Our Master of Science in Nursing Nurse Practitioner Program continues to grow, expanding primary care capacity across the province. Dr. Jill Bruneau is recognized nationally for leadership in nurse practitioner education, and our graduates are advancing team-based care, chronic disease management and community-based clinics throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our research impact has grown significantly. Since 2019, research funding has increased from just over $150,000 to more than $1.3 million — a rise of more than 1,200 per cent.

Faculty are advancing work in primary care innovation, diabetes management, heart health, mental health systems and Indigenous health.

Dr. Julia Lukewich is leading major research on the evolving role of registered nurses in primary care. Dr. Renée Crossman is reshaping diabetes care in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Assistant professor Erica (Samms) Hurley, a Mi’kmaw nurse scholar from Newfoundland’s West Coast, brings Indigenous knowledge to the forefront of nursing education and research, strengthening cultural safety and deepening our relationships with Indigenous communities.

Dr. Kathleen Stevens has received international recognition for her work in diabetic foot care, while Dr. Daisy Baldwin, a graduate of our PhD program, was honoured nationally for contributions to women’s heart health. Global collaborations led by Dr. Ahtisham Younas further connect Newfoundland and Labrador nursing scholarship to international evidence-based practice.

Through JBI Collaboration, we bridge provincial realities with global research, ensuring our students and partners benefit from the strongest possible evidence base.

A community of impact

Our graduates continue to make meaningful contributions long after they leave our classrooms. This year, Margaret Butt (BN’88) was named the 2025 Outstanding Community Service Award recipient, recognized for her compassion and impact in the communities she serves.

Across emergency departments, hospice suites, community clinics, research labs and midwifery programs in Labrador, Memorial nurses are leading at home and around the world.

Looking ahead

In May 2026, the first full cohort of satellite site graduates will celebrate completion of their degrees. In September, we will mark the Faculty of Nursing’s 60th anniversary.

These milestones represent both legacy and momentum.

At a time when our communities — locally and globally — are navigating uncertainty, change and real pressures on health systems, I hope to lead by example and to be a strong, steady voice for nursing education throughout this province. Our commitment is not only to academic excellence, but to walking alongside students and communities every step of the way — building connection, collegiality, purpose, well-being and the compassion this faculty and this province are known for.

We are strengthening a truly provincial nursing education environment, one that reflects our geography, our communities and our shared commitment to care.

Newfoundland and Labrador has always relied on nurses who rise to meet challenges with compassion and skill.

We are proud to be educating the next generation of those nurses — rooted here, and leading by example.