This letter is written in reaction to the text “The CEGEPs refuse to lose the DEC in nursing”, published on November 20.
Working in collaboration with universities for more than 20 years for DEC-BAC nursing training, on what bases is the President and CEO of the Fédération des cégeps based to “question the ability of universities to properly train nurses in the field? technical aspect ”? In addition to training well on the technical level, the university training of nurse clinicians prepares for the field of practice of the profession, one of the largest in health, and for the 17 reserved activities, according to article 36 of the Law. about nurses. It prepares nurses who have not only the responsibility, but also the professional authority, to promote health and provide care based on knowledge resulting from research, in collaboration with patients and their families, and in interprofessional collaboration.
In this regard, the recent report of the commissioners on the Estates General of the nursing profession 2021, based on a hundred briefs and opinions and on a consultation conducted with a citizen jury, recommends making the baccalaureate the only diploma giving access to a permit to practice the nursing profession in Quebec within five years. It also recommends maintaining two training courses to obtain the title of nurse in Quebec, namely the initial training in nursing at the university and the DEC-BAC. CEGEPs will continue to participate in quality nursing training by providing the DEC portion of the DEC-BAC. Why perceive and convey this change as a loss by the CEGEPs?
Based on the nursing workforce shortage, the President and CEO of the Federation affirms that the training of the technical DEC in nursing must be able to continue to provide access to the labor market. This same report of the commissioners recommends that the college diploma in nursing be combined with a qualification leading to the title of resident in nursing, making them available on the job market, while facilitating the pursuit of studies. It says that all the other Canadian provinces chose the baccalaureate as the standard for entry into the nursing profession, between 1998 and 2012, and that Alberta (2010) and British Columbia (2006) experienced a significant increase in the number of nurses. number of nursing graduates (45% and 60% respectively).
In Quebec, increased requirements in other health professions had the same effect of increasing admission requests. Why then fear the worsening of the shortage? One of the solutions to the nursing shortage is the baccalaureate requirement for the nursing profession, as recommended in the report. The baccalaureate as a standard for entry into the nursing profession is the winning avenue for both CEGEPs and universities, and especially for the general public.
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