Douglas College strives to be an integral part of its community. Through research projects, on campus organizations and institutional planning we want to help make our community, and the world, a better place. We inspire our students to do what they love and be good at it, providing educational experiences that challenge and enlighten, and open doors to lives of passion and purpose.

If you are looking for a career where you can make a real difference in people’s lives, welcome to the Faculty of Health Sciences at Douglas College. For people who like working with people, careers in the health care sector are rewarding and challenging. You’ll be providing an essential service that meets very real and immediate needs. Our programs are continually evolving to meet the demands of the health care system. You’ll learn under the instruction of caring professionals in specialized facilities that allow you to practice what you learn in the classroom.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The Nursing (Bachelor of Science) at Douglas College prepares graduates who are committed to excellence in professional practice and who will be able to contribute to the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities across a continuum of care needs. BSN graduates will be educated to provide safe, competent and compassionate nursing care grounded in theory and professional standards.

Fundamental theory and practical experience

The conceptual framework is based on the concepts of relational practice, critical inquiry, leadership, ethics of care, health promotion and inter-professional collaboration. This degree program is designed to give students the knowledge and experience for safe, compassionate, evidence-based, competent and ethical nursing practice. Classroom learning is augmented with supervised clinical practicums each semester as well as hands-on practice in our campus simulation labs. Courses are taught at the Coquitlam Campus.

School of Nursing Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

The School of Nursing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation is integrated within the over-all Douglas College Strategic Plan and the Office of Indigenous Academic Initiatives. 

Douglas College

Strategic Planning – Looking ahead to 2025

THEME 3 SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Expressions of care and concern for people and our planet are evident throughout Douglas College’s institutional values. But it is not enough to care—we also have to act. The two objectives under this theme will help provide the guideposts needed to ensure that our actions align with our values and continue to push us towards a more just and sustainable future.

OBJECTIVE 3.1: 

Align practices and processes with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and ReconciliationCommission’s Calls to Action.

Douglas College has long been a proud supporter and champion of our Indigenous students. With direction from provincial and federal governments, this support has been expanded to become a process of truth and reconciliation. Initiatives under this objective aim to create an increasingly welcoming campus environment for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff, to build bridges to Indigenous communities, and to support the creation of Indigenous curricula and professional development.

INITIATIVES

I. Express Douglas College’s commitment to Indigenization and reconciliation in ways that are tangible and visible to our communities, our students, our employees and visitors. Our campuses should highlight Indigenous art, and our operations should demonstrate respect for Indigenous culture and history.

II. Deepen relationships with local First Nations in ways that serve their interests and needs, and the needs and interests of Indigenous students at Douglas College. e.g. Build and maintain bridges to Indigenous community groups.

III. Support departments to develop Indigenous and culturally relevant/ informed offerings that reflect history and culture of Indigenous peoples. These efforts will nurture the variety and type of Indigenous-informed education we provide.

IV. Continuous professional development for faculty and staff on Indigenization, and continued development of employee resources.

Indigenous Initiatives were formalized with the inclusion of Indigenization in the College’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and the development of a long-term Indigenization Strategy (2019) that responds to the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Calls to Action and UNDRIP. The College’s Indigenization strategy focuses on building an increasingly welcoming campus environment for Indigenous students, faculty and staff; developing meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities; actively pursuing opportunities to increase Indigenous content in academic offerings; and providing meaningful professional development opportunities for employees.

The Office of Indigenous Academic Initiatives was developed Sept 2023 and is led by the Director, Indigenous Academic Initiatives. The IAI oversees the process of Indigenization across Douglas College and works closely with the faculty of nursing.

The IAI creates welcoming spaces that support Indigenization and reconciliation in ways that are tangible and visible to our communities, our students, our employees and our visitors to campus as well as activities that support TRC-related activities and events. This office is committed to increasing academic programs that have an Indigenous focus, are culturally relevant to content and pedagogy, and are informed and supported by Indigenous expertise.

The college has an Indigenous Pathway that helps students take their first steps toward careers working with Indigenous children, youth and families. The courses are taught by First Nations, Métis and non-Indigenous allied faculty with Elders’ support. The Indigenous Pathway was developed under the guidance of our partners at Vancouver Native Health, Elders and our Advisory Circle members.

Another Initiative is the Indigenous Global Learning program [which] provides Indigenous students opportunities to study different Indigenous cultures and engage with other Indigenous students from around the world.

Douglas College has also implemented the Indigenization Learning Journey. This is an internal resource designed to support learning in response to Douglas College’s commitments to Indigenization, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC’s) Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), as outlined in the Douglas College 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. Indigenization and any commitments the College make towards Indigenization, including professional development, is inherently linked to reconciliation, which needs to value relationships, reciprocity, relevance, responsibility and respect.  The resource invite employees, faculty and leaders at Douglas to see this as a cycle that involves learning, making mistakes,

Call to Action # 24

We call upon medical and nursing schools in Canada to require all students to take a course dealing with Aboriginal health issues, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, and Indigenous teachings and practices. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.

Mandatory Course:  Multiple courses.

Douglas College and the BSN program have made strategic and thoughtful efforts to weave Indigenous content through all areas of the BSN curriculum. This is done in consultation with stakeholders, the Office of Indigenous Academic Initiatives and college Elders in a committed and ongoing way to ensure all faculty are addressing the Calls to Action. 

Course descriptions: Found here.

Indigenous Learning Journey

San’yas Cultural Awareness

Indigenous People experience racism across all sectors of mainstream Canadian society. Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) learning programs deliver unique, facilitated online courses designed to increase knowledge, enhance self-awareness and strengthen the skills of those who work both directly and indirectly with Indigenous Peoples.

Learning is self-paced over an eight-week window and typically takes 10 hours to complete. This could be longer or shorter depending on your style of learning. After successful completion of the course materials and full participation in the discussion boards, participants will receive a completion certificate for the eight-weeks of learning.

Kairos Blanket Exercise

The Kairos Blanket Exercise is a participatory history lesson that fosters truth, understanding, respect, and reconciliation among non-Indigenous individuals in Canada. Participants step into the role of Indigenous Peoples in a scripted exercise. In these roles, participants experience a part of Canada’s history and the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples from contact to modern times.

School of Nursing Commitment to Call to Action # 24:  4.5 out of 5 = 90%

1. Indigenous health issues
Yes. In consultation with Jennifer Anaquod, Director Indigenous Academic Initiatives, and the EDI working group, explicit content addressing Indigenous health issues has been weaved through all curricular courses. This can be seen in learning outcomes and course content.
2. The history and legacy of residential schools
Yes. The use of In Plain Sight is incorporated into curriculum, and appropriate and culturally safe ways to teach the legacy of residential school is weaved through all courses. The instructors engage in ongoing professional development and support for the IAI office.
3. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Yes. Douglas College has made a commitment to weave Indigenous content throughout all courses in explicit, informed and culturally safe ways. This strategy provides a way for faculty and staff to see the process of Indigenization as a journey and not a check box.
4. Treaties and Aboriginal rights
Yes. All faculty take the onboarding Indigenous learning journey module, and this is being rolled out and offered to all students as well. This is part of the continuous process of the Indigenous learning journey.
5. Indigenous teachings and practice
Limited: The BSN program also uses the following open ed resource: https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/dcbsnindigenizationguide/

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing’s “Statement” of apology for colonial harms resulting from nursing education

The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) is the national voice for nursing education, research, and scholarship and represents baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs across Canada. CASN’s mission is to lead nursing education and nursing scholarship in the interest of healthier Canadians.

Dec.11, 2023: We, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), wish to express our deepest regret, apologizing to the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada for harms, historical or contemporary, related to nursing education…Furthermore, we acknowledge that many graduates of Canadian schools of nursing provide care to Indigenous patients that is racist and culturally unsafe…We recognize that these harms have been perpetuated through systemic racism and a failure to incorporate Indigenous perspectives or the impacts of colonialism into nursing curricula. We understand as well, the importance of nursing education in shaping the future of health care, and we deeply regret any instance where CASN’s actions contributed to disparities or reinforced colonial structures.

CASN is committed to a process of self-reflection, learning, and transformation. We will take the following steps to address the harms:

1. Anti-Racism, Cultural Safety, and Humility: Promote education, resources, and practices that address anti-Indigenous racism, supporting decolonization, cultural humility, and cultural safety for nursing faculty, staff, and students. Promote institutional policies and processes that address systemic racism to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
2. Curriculum Revision: Promote a review of nursing education curricula to ensure a strengths-based focus and trauma-informed approach, the inclusion of content on the continued impact of colonialism and racism on Indigenous health, as well as Indigenous perspectives on health and well-being.
3. Community Engagement: Establish meaningful partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities to ensure their voices are heard in shaping nursing education policies and practices.
4. Recruitment and Retention: Promote strategies that create culturally safe and supportive learning environments including pre-admission supports, in-program supports, and services that are developed in partnership with Indigenous communities.
5. Ongoing Accountability: In collaboration with Indigenous partners, establish mechanisms to monitor progress and address concerns raised by partners, Indigenous nursing students, and faculty.

Territorial Acknowledgement 

Located on the School of Nursing Home Page and the Douglas College Home Page.

Douglas College respectfully acknowledges that our campuses are located on the unceded traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and qiqéyt (Qayqayt) First Nations.

NOTE: All content has been submitted to the respective faculty for validation to ensure accuracy and currency as of the time of posting. The Douglas College Faculty of Health Sciences – School of Nursing reviewed and approved the document. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Research Assistant:  Timothy Maton