TRU’s Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner program accepting applications

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is accepting applications into its long-awaited Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) program on Wednesday (March 1).

In a news release, TRU says the new two-year program provides students with a master’s level education that allows them to work as independent health practitioners. The university says nurse practitioners are highly skilled professionals who can assess a patient’s health, prescribe medications, order and interpret tests, and make referrals to specialists.

The MN-NP program, that’s been in talks since 2020, comes as TRU looks to add more in-demand degrees and programs to offer students career opportunities, and to help bolster local, regional and national health-care systems.

“It will be the only program in the Interior and will help address the need in our region,” said Rani Srivastava, TRU’s Dean of Nursing.

In B.C., nurse practitioners work in primary care clinics, acute care, emergency departments, ambulatory clinics, walk-in clinics, residential care homes and hospice services.

TRU’s MN-NP program is currently under review by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Nurse Midwives education program review committee.

The addition of the MN-NP program builds on TRU’s current health-care education programs, which includes the Master of Nursing graduate degree, Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, Practical Nurse diploma, and Health Care Assistant and Continuing Education certificates.