The university is making an effort to create an expansive and representative nursing workforce; they intend to do this primarily by expanding the options available to students with Indigenous history trying to enter into nursing through UNB.

This admission pathway aims to help Indigenous nursing students feel supported and empowered to be leaders; UNB is opening a new Nutsihpiluwewicik admission pathway and is doing so in a way that recognizes the value of Indigenous knowledge.

Dr. Petra Hauf, vice-president of UNB Saint John, says that the new Nutsihpiluwewicik admission effort has been cultivated in a culturally responsive way. This pathway has been made with Indigenous pedagogy and ways of being at the forefront of development.

Through this pathway, applicants with Indigenous ancestry (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) will undergo a holistic and comprehensive review by an Indigenous selection committee. The Calls to Action put forward by National Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be a direct part of admissions in an attempt to bridge the educational attainment gap within one generation,” says Dr. Kathy Wilson, UNB’s vice president of academics on the Fredericton campus. Applicants will also be connected to community support from the very beginning.

Current State of Nursing

Currently, regarding representation in the nursing community, the province requires a minimum of 140 Indigenous nurses to qualify as a recognized Indigenous population. UNB is meeting that need by increasing Indigenous student enrollment to 10 percent in each nursing program.

This is created in partnership with the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre (MWC), Nutsihpiluwewicik (Healing Clan), the faculty of nursing on the Fredericton campus, and the department of nursing and health sciences on the Saint John campus.

Recruiting more Indigenous nurses will fundamentally create a more accessible healthcare
system for First Nations Peoples. A coordinative approach to healing, combining fundamental knowledge and ways of being of Indigenous culture, will open another door to allow the government to meet the ever-growing needs of our provincial health care system.

The pathway is in partnership with the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre (MWC), Nutsihpiluwewicik (Healing Clan), the faculty of nursing on the Fredericton campus, and the department of nursing and health sciences on the Saint John campus.

Students in nursing pathways through UNB are required to write the Casper Situational
Judgment Test (CASPer), students who self-identify as Indigenous may be able to choose not to have the CASPer scores count towards admission decisions in favour of choosing the
Nutsihpiluwewicik Admission Pathway.

Indigenous applicants who do not meet the minimum admission requirements for this are
encouraged to apply to UNB’s Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre’s (MWC) Wocopsqoltine Weci Spiqiyahtuweq / Weli’kwejik Elaqsultiek program.

Our Nutsihpiluwewicik Admission Pathway supports the BN general admission process by
considering Indigenous ways of knowing and being in the recruitment and retention of
Indigenous nursing students.

Through this pathway, Indigenous applicants will establish a student cohort and be connected to community support from the very beginning. For additional information about this Pathway, contact Angelina Heer, Nutsihpiluwewicik Director for UNB Fredericton and Moncton sites at nutsihpiluwewicik@unb.ca, or Todd Ross, Indigenous Advisor for UNB Saint John t.ross@unb.ca.

Indigenous Health Advisory Circle

UNB Saint John is also encouraging students to participate in the Saint John Indigenous Health Advisory Circle. This Circle is working toward improving the availability of healing and wellness services and connections for Indigenous people living in contemporary urban
communities.

UNB Fredericton and Moncton students are being encouraged to connect with
Nutsihpiluwewicik and the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre to learn more about existing
partnerships and ways to get involved.

An essential part of Canada’s healthcare system needs Indigenous nurses. Nurses with
Indigenous histories bring a unique perspective of healthcare issues, concerns, needs, and cultural safety to the care of people in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.