70 permanent nursing seats coming to 2 Nova Scotia universities
62 seats in Cape Breton, 8 in Yarmouth have been temporary since being added last year
Nova Scotia is adding 70 permanent first-year nursing seats at Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University's campus in Yarmouth.
The seats, added temporarily in 2020, will cost the province $3.2 million annually, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.
"I know many Nova Scotians want to be registered nurses, and this means they can study in Nova Scotia and earn their degree close to home," Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Derek Mombourquette said on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Zach Churchill.
"These seats help ensure Cape Breton and the rest of Nova Scotia will have nurses to provide the care we will need in the future."
CBU will receive 62 of the new permanent seats. It brings the total to 133 seats in its bachelor of science in nursing program.
The other eight are at Dalhousie's Yarmouth campus, bringing that school's total to 33.