A new programme to attract Bermudians into the nursing profession has been launched at the Bermuda College.The Nursing Education Pathway initiative has seen the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) added to the college’s offerings.The first nursing course began in the fall semester, said Bermuda College Director of Nursing Education Kathy Ann Swan: nine students enrolled to start off.“Our objective is to provide preregistration nursing education that will qualify students to write and succeed at board registration to become licensed as registered nurses,” she explained.A collaborative endeavour between the Ministries of Education and Health, the Bermuda College and the Bermuda Hospitals Board, the programme will address a local shortage of nurses. It has been approved by the Bermuda Nursing Council.“This programme should carry unique appeal to Bermudians and Bermuda residents as it offers the convenience of quality nursing education and training right here in Bermuda, along with the assurance that students will be well equipped to pursue higher degrees and expanded careers in the healthcare industry,” said College President Duranda Greene.Students need a 2.6 grade point average to qualify for the ADN programme, she said and must first take “several arts and science courses as part of the pre-nursing core” before embarking on a programme that culminates in the two-year Associate course.Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith said a worldwide nursing shortage meant that “qualified Bermudian nurses will have no difficulty finding jobs anywhere in the world”.And Health Minister Zane DeSilva said: “Bermuda’s nursing workforce comprises approximately 630 active registered nurses, and over 300 nursing associates or aides.”That adds up to about “9.5 nurses per 1,000 persons on the Island” — but with the population ageing, he said, there will be demand for an “increasingly large and qualified nursing workforce”.The Island’s nurses are dominated by guest workers: 62 percent of registered nurses are foreign.And many Bermudian staff are nearing retirement or within ten years of it, Mr DeSilva added — making it “imperative” to train residents in the field.Useful website: www.bercol.bm.