Premier Dalton McGuinty's visit to York University's School of Nursing was covered in the North York Mirror May 11:

To kick-start National Nursing Week and highlight the province’s announcement to introduce another 14 nurse practitioner-led clinics in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty dropped in on a group of nursing students at York University Monday, May 10.

In a room set up like a hospital or clinic, McGuinty went from bed to bed chatting with students practising different medical procedures before sitting down for a round-table discussion with undergraduate nursing students and graduate students in the nurse practitioner program.

The government announced Monday it is accepting applications to create 14 more nurse practitioner-led clinics, with a goal of having 25 such clinics by 2012. The first 11 clinics are scheduled to begin opening this month.

Meanwhile, students shared their stories about why they are studying nursing.

“Nursing chose me,” said Crystal Van Leeuwen, who decided on her career while holding a girl infected with HIV during a trip to a Thailand clinic.

Deana Ruddell-Thomson said she was a retail manager in Walkerton when the tainted water tragedy struck a decade ago. “I felt helpless watching friends and family becoming ill and I didn’t have any power,” she said.

Thomas McCormick said he will be working on a placement in Toronto before heading to northern Ontario to help more remote communities.

Several international students told McGuinty how thrilled they were to be able to study nursing in Ontario. The premier told the students that they have chosen an important career.

The complete article is available on InsideToronto.com.

The School of Nursing’s faculty members are involved in innovative and leading-edge research, and have established national and international reputations in their areas of expertise. Faculty members’ programs of research and scholarly activities contribute to better understanding of current and challenging health and nursing phenomena.

Faculty members’ scholarly activities encompass a range of areas (including, but not limited to, community health, environmental health, global health, health policy, homeless populations, immigrant health, mental health, women’s health) and cross the life span (children, youth, adults, and older adults), using diverse theoretical and methodological approaches.

Republished courtesy of YFile– York University’s daily e-bulletin.