Every graduate of Dawson’s Nursing Program can land a job in the field upon graduation. Many employers are actively recruiting the new nurses before they even graduate.

“Hospitals often prefer DEC graduates because they bring extensive hands-on experience,” said Cathy Moore, Chair of Dawson’s Nursing Department. “By the time they graduate, our students have accumulated more than 1,000 hours of clinical experience.”

Students learn and work in hospitals and clinical settings throughout the program. When they graduate, Dawson Nursing graduates work side by side in clinical settings with colleagues who have a CEGEP diploma or a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Culture of lifelong learning

There is a culture of lifelong learning and training in nursing. The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec requires all nurses to do professional development every year. “Our Dawson teachers emphasize the importance of keeping up to date on best practices in nursing, learning about new developments and issues. There are many ways to be a nurse and continue learning and growing,” Cathy said.

Nursing is a versatile field of work and offers a wide variety of jobs, work settings and schedules. A public debate and discussion has been in the news recently about whether Quebec nurses should be required to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing in order to work as a nurse.

More jobs than graduates

“Certainly, holding a bachelor’s degree in nursing offers more opportunities and opens the door to management and teaching positions,” Cathy said. “However, there are currently more jobs available in nursing than the graduates we are producing at Quebec CEGEPs. The healthcare system was experiencing a nursing shortage before the pandemic and now there is an even greater shortage. Our graduates are part of the solution and do not require further training in order to work as a nurse.”

Students entering the Nursing Program at Dawson have different goals and backgrounds. “Some students do not have the financial resources to pursue a university education, so the publicly funded three-year diploma program is appealing,” Cathy said.

“Many Dawson Nursing graduates decide to continue nursing studies at the university level while working as a nurse. Being licensed to work following a DEC allows them to support themselves while continuing their studies and providing a valuable service to the community. Making a bachelor degree mandatory will remove this option and may result in fewer students entering the field of nursing.”

Many routes into the profession

“At Dawson, we recognize that there are many routes into the profession of nursing,” said Academic Dean Robert Cassidy. “It is in the best interest of our society to preserve the CEGEP entry into nursing. A CEGEP Nursing graduate is ready and qualified to work as a nurse. We have been producing competent nurses for more than 50 years.”