An Australian university is helping address the critical shortage of nurses in Canada, with more than 60 Health Science students to graduate in Toronto this weekend, Saturday 4 October.

At a time when the Canadian health care system could lose more than a quarter of its nurses in the next two and a half years, according to a report by the University of Toronto and the Canadian Institute of Health Information, Charles Sturt University (CSU) is training quality health care professionals, in conjunction with The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences in Toronto.

The report, Bringing the Future into Focus: Projecting RN Retirement in Canada, suggests the country will lose more than 64 000 registered nurses by 2006 should each retire by 55.

“There is often a tendency for some countries to poach health professionals from other countries to meet their own shortages of health care professionals.  The Faculty seeks to reverse this trend by assisting other countries in training their own health care professionals for practice in their own countries,” said Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Health Studies, Professor Mark Burton.

“Charles Sturt is a recognised leader in providing quality graduates for the health professions. Many of our nursing students upgrade their qualifications by studying at a distance while working in critical areas of nursing care. The university works at the forefront of developments in the allied health industries and hand-in-hand with industry.”

CSU and Michener formed a partnership in 1996 – a tie that continues to strengthen with the worldwide demand for health and allied health professionals.

This weekend, students will also graduate from courses such as Diagnostic Radiography, Emergency Management, Health Science, Health Services Management, Respiratory Science, Radiographic Image Interpretation, Medical Ultrasound, Medical Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Complementary Medicine, Pre-Hospital Care, Medical and Applied Biotechnology as well as Nursing.

A further 40 graduates from across CSU faculties, including Commerce, Education and the Arts, will also attend the ceremony, to be held at the WH Bassett Theatre within the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 255 Front Street West, Toronto.