The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg attracts people from around the world who share our ideals and vision for positive change. We believe in embracing challenges and taking action. Our students, researchers and alumni bring their unique voices to learning and discovery, shaping new ways of doing things and contributing to important conversations in topics that matter most, from human rights to global health to climate change. We are where imagination and action collide.
The University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences offers a broad range of undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate educational programs in the health professions and basic medical sciences to more than 3,100 students each year. We reflect the health sector’s evolving focus on interprofessional models of care and prepare our students for team-based delivery of patient care.
The College of Nursing “has been delivering nursing education, supporting student success, advancing research and scholarship and contributing to the delivering of high quality health care in Manitoba and beyond. We value the important contribution of nurses when it comes to high quality and compassionate care and patient safety. With a career that can lead you to work in clinical practice, education, research, leadership and policy change, we are here to support you as you navigate your journey toward a profession that changes lives every day.
Depending on the program, collaborative courses with the University College of the North can also be taken in Flin Flon, Swan Lake, Thompson, or The Pas.
Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
The Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program offers a solid base of nursing knowledge, hands-on clinical practice and the skills to embrace a challenging, diverse and satisfying career. This program has internationally recognized academic staff with expertise in a variety of areas, and students are given the opportunity to experience all aspects of nursing. With internationally recognized faculty and state-of-the-art facilities, our full-time Bachelor of Nursing program offers a solid base in nursing knowledge combined with a hands-on clinical practice, allowing you to apply your knowledge in real-life situations.
University College of the North partnership
The College of Nursing at the University of Manitoba (UM) and the University College of the North have sustained a strong 26 year partnership for the delivery of the UM Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program in The Pas and Thompson.
Mahkwa omushki kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE)
Mahkwa omushki kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE), offers a combination of academic, personal and cultural supports to prepare First Nations, Métis and Inuit students for entrance into our Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree program and to assist them throughout the program.
If you are of Canadian Indigenous ancestry and are interested in a career as a nurse, we encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing
Officially launched in June of 2017, Ongomiizwin (clearing a path for generations to come) has a permanent place in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, affirming the University of Manitoba’s commitment to building respectful relationships and creating pathways to Indigenous health, healing and achievement.
Ongomiizwin is a robust inter-professional health service agency constantly expanding throughout Manitoba and led by team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous health professionals in a variety of areas
Indigenous Pedagogy and Curriculum Subcommittee
We have also established an Indigenous Pedagogy and Curriculum Subcommittee of our Undergraduate Curriculum Committee that is advising on the integration of Indigenous pedagogy and developing curricular activities related to Indigenous health, knowledge and healing practices. In addition, our Indigenous Nursing Advisory Council, comprised of external Indigenous Elders, leaders, employers and graduates, provides guidance and advice in ensuring our programs reflect Indigenous knowledge and practices, and are current, relevant, and of high quality.
With the implementation of our new Bachelor of Midwifery program in 2021, we collaborated with a group of Indigenous scholars in the incorporation of Indigenous teachings and practices related to maternal and child health. We also integrated the Water Ceremony into the mandatory Bachelor of Midwifery program student orientation.
Midwifery programs and additional teachings and practices continue to be woven into the curriculum. Our full-time Knowledge Keeper, Director of Mahkwa omushi kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education, and Director, Indigenous Health Integration, Ongomiizwin Education, have been instrumental in assisting with the integration of Indigenous teachings and practices. We established an Indigenous Assistant Professor position in 2021 to promote the integration of Indigenous knowledge, pedagogy and research in the College of Nursing. To further advance the indigenization, we are in the process of recruiting an Indigenous Associate Professor.
College of Nursing Anti-Racism Committee
The College of Nursing Anti-Racism Committee, established in 2022, offered a monthly Speaker Series focused on, “Let’s Talk About Racism in Nursing” in 2022-23, and continues to offer regular educational sessions on a variety of topics including managing microaggressions and abuse.
University of Manitoba
Truth and Reconciliation Framework
Since November 2023, the Reconciliation Advisory Committee has been working to finalize the first draft of the university’s first Truth and Reconciliation Framework.
We are excited to share the Truth and Reconciliation Framework: Time for Action – 2024-2029 (PDF). Informed by community consultations and MOMENTUM: Leading Change Together 2024-2029, this draft framework outlines the vision, mission and shared values, which has guided the Reconciliation Advisory Committee in its work.
Before the Committee moves forward with presenting a final plan to Senate and the Board of Governors for approval, we invite you to read and share your feedback on this important document. This framework will guide our shared work over the next five years. We want to ensure that it resonates and that the diversity of voices and perspectives that strengthen our UM community are reflected in our framework.
Using the Indigenous Senior Leadership Report and Recommendations and the MOMENTUM: Leading Change Together 2024-2029 plan as guides, the Truth and Reconciliation Framework provides the high-level context to champion a university-wide Reconciliation Implementation Plan in 2025, which will drive UM’s commitment of advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into what we do.
Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint
The Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint (MCIEB) is a partnership involving Manitoba’s six universities, three colleges, Indigenous organizations, government partners, and the Manitoba School Boards Association. Our goal is to prioritize excellence in Indigenous education in Manitoba. We are dedicated to increasing access to education for all Indigenous learners – from recruitment to retention and incorporating Indigenous knowledge and content into early education and beyond. Through collaborative evaluation, policy development and implementation, we aim to advance Indigenous education and promote reconciliation.”
In 2022, a Blueprint Management team was hired to advance collaborative projects that advance the Blueprint commitments. The first annual Blueprint Indigenous Education Gathering was held in March, 2023 bringing together over 170 people from across the province to explore three priority areas: affirming the rightful place of Indigenous Knowledge in academic; closing the digital divide in Northern and remote communities; and credit transfer strategies to promote student mobility in the area of Indigenous language.”
See also the MCIEB’s Ten Commitments document.
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: Yes.
NURS 2522: Human Diversity – Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery programs (in Term 1)
This course provides students with knowledge of the social factors that enhance or diminish the health of individuals, families and communities. Students will also analyze the concept of client-centred care and its relevance in the practices of health care professionals. Includes significant content regarding the history of Indigenous residential schools, impacts on past and current health and social wellness, and resiliency.
INDG 1200: Indigenous Peoples in Canada – Bachelor of Midwifery program (admission requirement)
A survey of the political, social, and economic situations of the contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in Canada.
Turtle Island Exercise – Master of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner and PhD in Nursing programs (during student orientation)
As well, all students in our undergraduate programs in the College of Nursing engage in the blanket exercise, which is embedded in the curriculum in the first term of their program. All graduate students engage in the Turtle Island exercise as part of their mandatory orientation program.
Course descriptions: See Academic Calendar
In addition, we offer clinical placements in Indigenous communities as well as community placements specific to Indigenous populations in which students become more knowledgeable about and address Indigenous health issues. We collaborate with the Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing to support clinical placements in communities for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Lectures are provided to both undergraduate and Master of Nursing Nurse Practitioner program students by Indigenous instructors on Indigenous pediatric, reproductive and mental health in classes across all three terms each year.
As well, we secured funding to create virtual simulations focused on the perspective of Indigenous people seeking health care services. The simulations were developed in consultation with Indigenous people and simulation experts through an interprofessional lens and implemented in the undergraduate nursing program.
College of Nursing Commitment to Call to Action # 24: 4 out of 5 = 80%
| 1. Aboriginal health issues |
| Yes. See mandatory course descriptions as well as Health Sciences Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation |
| 2. The history and legacy of residential schools |
| Yes. See mandatory course descriptions as well as Health Sciences Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation |
| 3. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples |
| Limited: Delivered through the Turtle Island Exercise (Blanket Program) |
| 4. Treaties and Aboriginal rights |
| Limited: Delivered through the Turtle Island Exercise (Blanket Program) |
| 5. Indigenous teachings and practice |
| Yes. See mandatory course descriptions as well as Health Sciences Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation |
Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing’s “Statement” of apology for colonial harms resulting from nursing education
Dec.11, 2023: CASN apologizes to Indigenous Peoples of Canada for Colonial harms resulting from nursing education…CASN is committed to a process of self-reflection, learning, and transformation. We will take the following steps to address the harms:
- 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.
- 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.
- Community Engagement: Establish meaningful partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities to ensure their voices are heard in shaping nursing education policies and practices.
- 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.
- Ongoing Accountability: In collaboration with Indigenous partners, establish mechanisms to monitor progress and address concerns raised by partners, Indigenous nursing students, and faculty.
Land Acknowledgement:
Located on the School of Nursing Home Page and the University of Manitoba Home Page
The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anisininew, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More
| NOTE: All content has been submitted to the respective faculty for validation to ensure accuracy and currency as of the time of posting. The University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences College of Nursing reviewed and approved the document. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Research Assistant: Timothy Maton |