Brady Lang, Communications Specialist, Suncrest College
Jeannine Hinrichsen is no stranger to the medical profession, specifically when looking at the development of the next generation of healthcare workers.
“It actually brings me a lot of pride and joy to see our students working in our health care facilities, and it’s even more fulfilling for me seeing former students mentoring our new generation of nurses that are graduating,” Hinrichsen told Suncrest College.
For the past 23 years, Hinrichsen has been an instructor in Suncrest College’s Practical Nursing program. She still remembers her early years in the 2000s and sees a holistic view when looking at the current generation of nurses in the northeastern region of Saskatchewan.
“It’s kind of neat that we’ve seen students that have graduated from this program back in the early 2000s that are now taking that role as preceptors and mentors in the workplace,” Hinrichsen said.
In the 23 years, well over 100 students have passed through the doors of Hinrichsen’s program, which continues to this day in Melfort.
The Practical Nursing program has been a mainstay at the College for years, but one thing hasn’t changed according to Hinrichsen: the commitment to long-term learning.
“I feel that people apply and decide to take this program because they certainly have an interest in health care, and they have an interest in helping people,” she said.
“It is within the public view. We’ve had a lot of students go through this program and are working in our local facilities within the northeast region. I think that’s another reason why its an attraction to taking this program. There’s a lot of employment available to them in many areas of acute care hospitals or long-term care facilities or even working in the community through agencies such as home care.”
When it comes to post-graduation, the majority of the students are hired by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, in all kinds of clerical roles, Hinrichsen said.
When it comes to the actual program itself, Hinrichsen went through some of the learning situations these future LPNs face in the course.
“It does provide them with a variety of learning experiences. There are classroom experiences, there is experiences in the lab where hands-on learning occurs. There’s simulation learning, both in lab simulation and in virtual simulation. There’s also the clerical experiences that happen within our Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities,” she explained.
A large focus of programming with Suncrest College surrounds students being retained by local organizations, businesses and agencies. Suncrest meets with local labour groups to dictate which programs are needed, and where and works to ensure employment gaps are subsidized by the local training facilities.
With instructors who care, and see you as more than just a number, Suncrest strives to ensure that all student’s needs are met with additional support, additional resources, and a push to continue success in our graduates.
For students looking to pursue a full degree, Suncrest also offers a full, four-year degree program delivered through the University of Saskatchewan, allowing students to save funds by staying local, and staying within their own comfortabilities to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
For any and all information regarding the nursing options at Suncrest, feel free to find us online at SuncrestCollege.ca, where a full list of programs can be found.
For more specific details on specific programs, click the Programs tab and find what course you’re interested in. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 1.866.783.6766.
