There are many options for learning at UBC Okanagan, including micro-credentials to support careers in health care, communications and sustainability. Learners can now apply for the StrongerBC future skills grant to add to their skill set.

UBC Okanagan will once again take part in the provincial government’s StrongerBC program that will help people upgrade their professional skills in a variety of careers.

The StrongerBC future skills grant provides up to $3,500 towards tuition for short-term, career-focused training at public post-secondary institutions. At UBC Okanagan, the grant supported 140 working professionals in 2025, including nurses, sustainability practitioners and wildfire specialists who completed micro-credentials designed to build specific, in-demand skills to improve their employability.

The program is flexible, so participants can learn while also balancing full-time jobs and family commitments.

For some, the results were immediate. Liz Green, a registered nurse, enrolled in UBC Okanagan’s Case Management and Care Coordination for Primary Care Nursing micro-credential to explore a career shift. The practicum took her to an urgent primary care clinic and, while there, she was hired into a new role.

“Out of my practicum, I was able to connect with an Urgent Primary Care unit, and I’m now working where I want to be,” says Green, who completed the program while working full-time and raising a family. “The practicum gave me a window into what’s happening in the industry. I could identify with it and I realized, I can do this.”

Green is one of a growing number of BC professionals using grant-funded micro-credentials to make meaningful career moves. Sandy Acheson, a registered nurse with 32 years of experience at the South Similkameen Health Centre in Keremeos, took the Health Assessment for Primary Care Nursing micro-credential and found it changed her daily practice.

“Every time we were learning something, I was going back to work and sharing key points with my colleagues and applying them right away,” says Acheson. “I’m nearing the end of my career, and to be able to take a course like this has been incredibly refreshing. It keeps your brain engaged.”

The grant also benefits learners outside of health care. Dr. Aderonke Oyeyiola, a research associate and sessional lecturer at the University of Northern British Columbia, enrolled in UBC Okanagan’s Pathways to Sustainability micro-credential to add practical tools to her research.

The coursework used a lifecycle assessment software called SimaPro, which made the course especially useful, says Dr. Oyeyiola.

“What stood out most in this course was the hands-on work with SimaPro,” says Dr. Oyeyiola. “Being able to model different production methods and end-of-life scenarios really helped me understand how decisions at each stage affect the environment and support a circular economy. I genuinely enjoyed the course and found it very useful for my projects.”

Jackie Denison, UBCO’s Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning, says the StrongerBC future skills grant program opens doors for many people with established careers who are looking to develop new skills, or make a career change.

“The province’s StrongerBC future skills grant program enables learners to take that next step in their careers. They can advance, change direction or find a new path,” Denison says. “We’re proud that UBCO can be a partner in learning opportunities for so many working professionals.”

The StrongerBC future skills grant, launched in 2023, is open to BC residents aged 19 and older regardless of financial need. This year, eligible UBC Okanagan programs include:

• Applied Lifecycle Assessment and ESG Reporting for Circular Economy (formerly Pathways to Sustainability: Circular Economy)
• Health Assessment for Primary Care Nursing
• Capstone Portfolio for Primary Care Nursing Fundamentals
• Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management
• Foundations for a Restorative Approach: Health Care Harm and Well-being
• Case Management and Care Coordination for Primary Care Nursing
• Caring for Select Populations for Primary Care Nursing
• Health Promotion, Prevention and Screening in Primary Care Nursing
• Environmental Impact Assessment: Approaches and Practice

For details and application information, visit: cpe.ok.ubc.ca/help-centre/strongerbc-future-skills-grant

The grant is funded by the Province of British Columbia.

The post BC’s future skills grant supports micro-credential options at UBCO appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Kamalpreet Kaur crossed the stage at UBC Okanagan convocation Friday with her nursing degree and the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation.

When Kamalpreet Kaur arrived in Canada as a student nine years ago, nursing wasn’t an option. Without permanent residency, she couldn’t apply. So, she waited six years, earned her citizenship and then earned her degree.

On Friday, Kaur crossed the stage at UBC Okanagan’s spring convocation to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation, awarded to the graduating student with the strongest academic record who also contributes to the community in those areas.

“I didn’t feel it was possible for me, for a first-generation immigrant to receive such an honour,” said Kaur, who came to UBCO from Punjab, India. “But it was magical.”

The award reflects more than academic achievement. Kaur has served as an alternate representative for the British Columbia Nurses Union’s young nurses’ network, advocating for racialized and underrepresented nurses in clinical environments.

She is also developing a peer support platform for new nurses. A space for recent graduates to ask questions, share experiences and find guidance as they navigate their first years in practice.

Kaur plans to pursue a nurse practitioner designation starting next year. Politics, she says, is a longer-term goal.

Until then, she’s celebrating with her parents, who travelled from India to watch her cross the stage, and her husband, Balkarn Singh.

“They’re my biggest support system. Without them, I would not have been able to complete my studies,” Kaur says. “There have been so many things I’ve faced here, being the first girl in my family to come to Canada. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Kaur was among more than 2,600 students who received their degrees at UBC’s Okanagan campus this week, wrapping up one of the university’s strongest academic years yet.

With the Class of 2026, the campus has officially surpassed 30,000 alumni since opening its doors 21 years ago.

Governor General’s Gold Medal

Jon Corbett received the Governor General’s Gold Medal—the most prestigious academic honour for a graduating student—following the successful defence of his doctoral dissertation, Ancestral Code: Grounding Indigenous Computing in nehiyaw Epistemology.

Corbett is a doctoral student in the digital arts and humanities in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. His dissertation develops a nehiyaw (Plains Cree) epistemological framework for Indigenous computing. His work includes a syllabic programming typeface, a nehiyaw-based programming language, an integrated development environment, and keyboard designs rooted in the nehiyaw syllabic star chart.

A year of national research momentum

The 2025/26 academic year brought significant milestones for UBCO researchers.

In January, Dr. Mary Jung, a professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, began a four-year term as Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. The institute was relocated from SickKids in Toronto to UBCO and marks the first time the campus has hosted a national institute.

In February, UBCO and the Weston Family Foundation launched the $8-million Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program. Led by Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, it will build national capacity for prescribed fire through five regional hubs.

Dr. Heather Gainforth was also named the SSHRC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Research Coproduction and Implementation Science, bringing UBCO’s total Canada Research Chairs to 10.

Teaching excellence

Six faculty members were recognized for teaching in 2026. Sheila Epp (School of Nursing) and Dr. Julien Picault (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) received Killam Teaching Prizes. The Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation went to Dr. Abdallah Mohamed (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science), Mayu Takasaki (Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies) and Dr. Ying Zhu (Faculty of Management).

Award winners

Keira Dail, a Bachelor of Science graduate, received the Pushor Mitchell LLP Prize, a $10,000 award given each year to a graduating student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science or Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences who combines academic achievement with leadership in community service, cross-cultural relations, diversity, intellectual pursuits, or artistic and athletic endeavours.

Inaugural cohort graduates with Bachelor of Sustainability

UBCO’s first graduating class in the Bachelor of Sustainability left a mark on the region before leaving campus.

The group of 16 students completed more than 1,100 hours of community service by working with local partners, including the City of Kelowna, the Central Okanagan Land Trust, Be the Change Earth Alliance and the Kelowna and District SHARE Society.

Their projects included supporting the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy, planting western red cedars, leading climate resiliency workshops in K–12 schools and creating upcycling and re-use programs.

The graduates are heading into careers in environmental consulting, planning, field biology, wildfire management, GIS, agriculture and resource stewardship, with others pursuing graduate studies in planning and education.

The post The wait, the hard work was worth it for UBC Okanagan graduates appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Rena Patrick, Audrey Casper, Angelina Hopkins-Rose and Deborah Doss-Cody wait for their names to be called during convocation ceremonies at UBC Okanagan on Thursday afternoon. The four make up the inaugural graduating cohort of the Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency.

UBC Okanagan has conferred its first Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency degrees, marking a milestone in the university’s ongoing partnership with Interior Salish communities to protect and revitalize one of British Columbia’s most critically endangered Indigenous languages.

Four graduates crossed the stage at UBC Okanagan on Thursday, completing a degree shaped by years of immersion-based learning, community-engaged scholarship and a collaboration between UBCO, the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the Lillooet Tribal Council, through its St’át’imc Education Institute.

Rena Patrick (N’Quatqua), Audrey Casper (Tsal’alh), Angelina Hopkins-Rose (New Westminster) and Deborah Doss-Cody (Xáxli’p) make up the inaugural cohort.

St’át’imcets is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the territory around the middle Fraser and Lillooet rivers. Fewer than 50 fluent speakers remain in the northern St’át’imc area, nearly all of them elderly, making the arrival of university-credentialed, immersion-trained graduates a significant moment for St’át’imc communities.

In communities like N’Quatqua, which sits between the northern and southern St’át’imc dialects, only a handful of silent speakers remain—people who understand the language but rarely speak it aloud.

“It’s so important to keep it going, keep it flowing, because we’re losing it,” says Patrick, an early childhood educator who already uses the language daily with the children in her care and hopes to establish a language nest in her community.

The Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency is the third of UBCO’s four Interior Salish language degrees, offered through the Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies. It follows inaugural cohorts in Nsyilxcn and NłeɁkepmx, with Secwépemc welcoming its first cohort in 2025.

Students complete a two-year diploma at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology before transferring to UBCO for third and fourth-year study, combining intensive immersion coursework, domain-specific language acquisition, culture courses and language revitalization theory.

Graduates are not only learning to speak their language, but also to become practitioners capable of leading community-based revitalization work.

Much of the program was delivered online, which the graduates say made it accessible to students spread across distant communities. They also forged a tight bond as a result.

“Anytime we had assignments or were challenged with deadlines, we really leaned on each other,” says Doss-Cody. “We always worked together and supported each other pretty steadily, pretty hard.”

For Hopkins-Rose, who grew up in the city with no exposure to the language, the degree has reshaped her path. She now speaks the language at home with her two children and continues her education in Indigenous language revitalization at the University of Victoria in July.

“The trajectory of my life completely shifted,” she says. “To hear my children speak the language is incredibly inspiring. I have a lot of hope for our language.”

Casper, who returned to the language decades after first being drawn to it as a child, says completing the degree has connected her to the relatives who came before her.

“Regaining our language has really made me feel closer to the ancestors who have passed,” she says.

All four graduates plan to continue working with the language. Hopkins-Rose begins a Master of Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria in July. Patrick is beginning a community-based Bachelor of Education program this fall, and Doss-Cody also plans to pursue a Bachelor of Education with the goal of teaching.

“My heartfelt congratulations to the St’át’imc graduates and the communities that support them. We look forward to future collaborations with our partners in the newly formed Interior Salishan Studies Centre,” says Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, the Interior Salish Languages program coordinator.

Chief Justin Kane, chairperson of the Lillooet Tribal Council, says the working relationship between the Interior Salish Nations and post-secondary institutions has taken another significant step forward in supporting students and language revitalization.

“This is such a momentous achievement and will serve our longstanding mandate to revitalize our St’át’imc language,” he says. “This has always been an important part of the work led by our elders, and it will go a long way toward ensuring our language and culture remain in place for future generations.”

UBCO’s Interior Salish language degrees are among a small number of university-level immersion programs in Indigenous language fluency in Canada.

More than 2,600 students receive degrees from UBCO this week, joining 435,000 alumni spread across nearly 150 countries.

Three more ceremonies are set for Friday in Kelowna:

8:30 am: Faculty of Health and Social Development (School of Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Social Work); College of Graduate Studies

11 am: Faculty of Education (Okanagan School of Education); Faculty of Management; College of Graduate Studies

1:30 pm: Faculty of Applied Science (School of Engineering); College of Graduate Studies

Ceremonies will be livestreamed at graduation.ok.ubc.ca.

The post UBC Okanagan graduates carry an Interior Salish language forward appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Micah, left, Jackson and Aiden Borne pose in this family photo. Aiden is graduating this year from UBC Okanagan’s nursing program.

When Aiden Borne crosses the stage at UBC Okanagan’s spring convocation this week, he’ll be doing more than collecting his nursing degree. He’ll be stepping into a profession that helped save his life twice.

In 2016, at age 14, doctors diagnosed Borne with Burkitt lymphoma.

Five years later, while still in remission and preparing for his high school graduation, he received a second diagnosis: non-Hodgkin anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma.

Both required months of chemotherapy. Both made their marks.

“The chemotherapy left me very weak,” says Borne, 24. “All the brain fog, the physical inability to do what I could do previously. Especially entering university, that was frustrating. I wasn’t at the top of my mental game.”

However, it was during those long hospital stays that Borne found his calling.

“It’s been eye-opening to see the change a nurse can make in someone’s life,” he says. “I knew I was just another patient on their long shift, but to me they were making my day with these small acts of kindness. I said to myself, ‘That’s exactly what I want to do.’”

Borne eased into his studies, starting a Bachelor of Science degree even as the brain fog lingered. The first two years were especially difficult. Staying close to home helped. Raised in Kelowna, he says studying in his hometown “brought me a lot of peace.”

He eventually turned his experience into an unexpected asset in the classroom.

“There were a lot of times I’d learn something and think, oh, that’s why they did it this way,” he says. “When we started studying oncology, I already knew half of it because I’d gone through it. It gives me eyes to the other side of the story.”

Graduation day will be a family affair. Borne—the middle of three brothers—will be joined by his parents, grandparents and his girlfriend, whom he met in the nursing program and who graduates alongside him.

Borne’s older brother, Jackson, graduated earlier this year from the physiotherapy program at UBC Vancouver. Micah, his younger brother, is set to graduate next year.

His resilience traces back to advice from his grandfather. “He always told me, especially in the hospital, that the most important thing was to keep a positive attitude. For recovery, that was crucial.”

Borne’s advice to others facing hard times is simple: “Try to look at the bigger picture. In bad situations, it’s easy to live day by day. Sometimes it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

A message to graduates

UBC Okanagan Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lesley Cormack says the Class of 2026 should embrace the opportunities ahead.

“You should feel the joy of achievement, and the inspiration from that achievement to turn outward and become a force of change. Joy brings hope. And hope can change the world,” she says.

“When you think of all the students graduating who will go out into the world and bring with them positive change, it is awe-inspiring. It’s the reason UBC is here—to equip and empower those who have the drive to change the world.”

Convocation schedule

UBC Okanagan’s spring convocation takes place over two days, with three ceremonies each day at the campus in Kelowna.

Thursday, June 4

8:30 am: Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science; College of Graduate Studies

11 am: Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science; College of Graduate Studies

1:30 pm: Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies; College of Graduate Studies

Friday, June 5

8:30 am: Faculty of Health and Social Development (School of Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Social Work); College of Graduate Studies

11 am: Faculty of Education (Okanagan School of Education); Faculty of Management; College of Graduate Studies

1:30 pm: Faculty of Applied Science (School of Engineering); College of Graduate Studies

Ceremonies will be livestreamed at graduation.ok.ubc.ca.

The post Nursing graduand finds a calling in the care that carried him through cancer appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

From left: Dr. Luc Cousineau, Dr. Fang Wan, moderator Nathan Skolski, journalist Jonathan Kay and Dr. John Oliffe discuss whether masculinity is in crisis during the UBC Okanagan Debates event at Kelowna Community Theatre.

A clash over what’s driving modern manhood—biology, culture or accountability—set the tone for UBC Okanagan Debates: Masculinity in Crisis on Tuesday night at Kelowna Community Theatre. 

Toronto journalist Jonathan Kay and Dalhousie University researcher Dr. Luc Cousineau drew laughs and gasps as Kay argued that men today “aren’t getting away with the same bad behaviour they did in the 1970s and ’80s,” with Dr. Cousineau snapping back, “It’s not a crisis of masculinity—it’s these guys being jerks.” 

The 90-minute public debate attracted a capacity crowd to hear four experts—Kay and Dr. John Oliffe from UBC Vancouver’s School of Nursing argued there is a crisis, while Dr. Fang Wan from UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management and Dr. Cousineau argued there is not.  

Together, they explored whether masculinity is collapsing or evolving amid shifting gender roles, online pressures and growing mental-health challenges. 

The case for crisis 

Dr. Oliffe, founder of UBC’s Men’s Health Research Program, presented sobering evidence that men’s health outcomes are worsening. 

“Forty-four per cent of Canadian men who die before age 75 die from preventable causes,” he said. “Cancers, cardiovascular disease, overdose and suicide are robbing us of years of life.” 

Dr. Oliffe argued that traditional masculine norms—stoicism, control and self-reliance—can stop men from seeking help. “We’ve reduced masculinity to a handful of traits and forgotten it’s plural,” he said. 

Jonathan Kay, editor and podcaster with Quillette, described the crisis as psychological and cultural, driven by status anxiety and online comparisons. 

“We live in an era of plenty, where you can order anything on Amazon,” he said. “But there are two things they’re not making more of—real estate and status. When you were a kid, there was a vacation from the status hierarchy. When I see kids now, because of social media, there’s no vacation. You’re comparing yourself to kids all over the world … you’re counting likes. It’s all quantified.” 

Kay said the constant comparisons are causing boys and young men, to withdraw instead of reaching out. 

“Girls and women identify tribally with the anxieties they experience—‘I have ADHD or anxiety,’ and they reach out to others,” he said. “Men and boys, it’s the opposite. They retreat. They retreat into video games; they retreat into silence.” 

Men aren’t in crisis 

Dr. Cousineau countered that masculinity has never been fixed, and saying it is “in crisis” misunderstands its fluid nature. 

“To claim that masculinity is in crisis implies there’s one right way to be a man,” he said. “Masculinity has always been plural. What it means to be a man in Kelowna in 2025 is not what it meant in 1985.” 

He argued that the traditional ideal of the male provider is “so far outdated that we’ve lost the thread,” adding that today’s confusion reflects a crisis of understanding, not a collapse of identity. 

Dr. Wan shifted the discussion beyond North America, arguing that the idea of a crisis is far from universal. 

“In many parts of the world—Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia—men still dominate the social, political and corporate hierarchy,” she noted. “There’s no crisis. It’s continuity.” 

She linked gender and power to the online world. Citing recent research and Australia’s move to restrict children’s social media use, Dr. Wan warned that platforms designed for engagement amplify division. 

“Social media rewards sensationalism and polarization,” she said. “If it’s not extreme, it doesn’t get attention—and that hurts everyone’s wellbeing.” 

Collision and consensus 

Despite heated moments, the four speakers agreed on one point: men’s wellbeing is a public issue that requires empathy, not caricature. 

Dr. Oliffe urged that conversations about masculinity must move beyond blame or labels. 

“We cannot simultaneously espouse our commitment to inclusion with a singular, deficit-driven masculinity in 2025,” he said. “Never use the (toxic) word again. Instead, employ ALEC—Ask, Listen, Prompt for Elaboration, and Check back in—as a means of not perpetuating the decade-long crisis that has been the misrepresentation of masculinity in its singular, deficit form.” 

Dr. Cousineau’s closing remarks echoed the same spirit of reflection: “We’re not in crisis—we’re just not keeping up,” he said. “We need to build a better world where more people can live the best lives they can.” 

By evening’s end, confrontation had turned to conversation. The debate ended without consensus, but there was a shared recognition that masculinity, in all its forms, is still evolving—and worth debating. 

UBC Okanagan: Debates is a signature series showcasing civil discourse in an era of polarization, bringing diverse perspectives together to demonstrate that disagreement can be both respectful and enlightening.

The post Masculinity debated in the digital age appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

The post New toolkit is helping create dementia-inclusive communities in BC appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

UBC Okanagan’s 12 annual Embrace Aging Month begins March 1 and includes a series of events and workshops to help locals find fun, meaningful activities while learning about topics geared towards healthy aging.

Aging is a fact of life—but how people age is up to them.

To celebrate positive aging, UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (IHLCDP) celebrates March as Embrace Aging Month. The month is series of events and workshops that help community members find fun, meaningful activities and learn about topics such as the aging process, digital literacy, electronic health records and estate planning.

“Supporting aging well is more important than ever before,” says Dr. Jennifer Jakobi, IHLCDP Director and a Professor with UBCO’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences. “By 2036, it is projected that older adults will account for 25 per cent of Canada’s population. Embrace Aging Month highlights the importance of supporting and enhancing the quality of life of older adults in our communities. Aging well should be important to everyone.”

This is the 12^th consecutive year the university has organized Embrace Aging Month and Dr. Jakobi says the event series has proven popular in the community and the IHLCDP is proud to continue the tradition of providing interesting ways to connect with the local aging population each year. The goal of the month is to raise awareness of services, resources and educational opportunities, and at the same time, connect seniors with service providers. The sessions are for people of all ages.

“The Okanagan’s aging adults are active, engaged people and a vibrant part of our population,” she says. “Each year, we find interesting, interactive webinars, classes or activities to offer. These events open doors and help participants make connections so they continue to be active and engaged throughout the year.”

There are events each day of the month, kicking off with an open house at the KF Centre for Excellence at Kelowna International Airport and a webinar with BC’s Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt. Participants can learn through online and in-person events about better ways to interact with and use their local pharmacist, as well as fire safety tips, how to access and interpret their Interior Health MyHealthPortal as well as learn about research options that use virtual reality. Additional activities include an interactive book club, watercolour classes, chair yoga, personal health assessments, a pole walking clinic and even an introduction to e-bikes.

Embrace Aging Month is organized by UBCO’s IHLCDP in partnership with Beem Credit Union and Interior Health. Events begin March 1, and all events are free and open to the public. For a full schedule and registration details, visit okanaganembraceaging.com.

The post UBCO celebrates Embrace Aging Month appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Medical advice, help and doctors with a tablet for healthcare, research and medicine planning. Communication, collaboration and men working in cardiology talking about surgery results on technology.

UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing is now accepting applications for its newest professional development opportunity, a micro-credential in case management and care coordination.

Designed for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, this two-course program addresses the complexities of primary care nursing in today’s health-care environment.

“Evidence shows that having access to primary care improves patient outcomes,” said Sheila Epp, Associate Professor of Teaching at UBC Okanagan.

“UBC Okanagan is committed to developing nursing education to support nurses in building their competencies to be leaders and high-functioning members of interdisciplinary primary care teams.”

This micro-credential program equips students with the expertise to develop, implement and evaluate patient-centred care plans.

Participants will master case management and care coordination principles to collaborate within interprofessional teams and address client needs, including those with chronic diseases or complex social determinants of health.

The program supports nurses in meeting the increasing demand for skilled care coordinators in primary health-care settings, such as clinics and community centres.

Key competencies include applying chronic disease management strategies and fostering health behaviour change, making graduates invaluable in improving client outcomes.

“We know that nurses play a key role in team-based primary care, and specific education in the care area, like these micro-credentials, is important for success,” says Shannon Moore, an adjunct professor at UBCO and primary care nurse with Interior Health.

“As a primary care nurse of over a decade and now an instructor, I am passionate about educating nurses to maximize their role and scope to bring primary care to all.”

Open to registered nurses and psychiatric nurses in Canada, as well as nursing students in their final year, the program provides flexibility with its non-credit format, making it an accessible option for continuing education.

Learners who complete the micro-credential will also receive a UBC Okanagan digital badge, a recognized symbol of achievement and competency. This program is part of a series of stackable micro-credentials targeted at primary care nurses.

The first intake starts in February.

For more information, visit cpe.ok.ubc.ca/programs/case-management-and-care-coordination-for-primary-care-nursing.

The post Case management focus of new nursing micro-credential appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

New research from UBC and UBCO demonstrates that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can alleviate postpartum depression.

While many people believe that poor sleep during pregnancy is inevitable, new research has determined that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) while pregnant can not only improve sleep patterns, but also address postpartum depression.

Researchers from UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, as well as the University of Calgary, discovered that delivering CBTi during pregnancy significantly reduces postpartum depressive symptoms after baby arrives.

“Early intervention is crucial for infant and parental mental health,” says Dr. Elizabeth Keys, an Assistant Professor in UBCO’s School of Nursing and a study co-author. “Our research explores how addressing sleep problems like insomnia can lead to better mental health outcomes for families, helping parents and their children thrive.”

CBTi is a therapeutic intervention that identifies thoughts, behaviours and sleep patterns that contribute to insomnia. Treatment includes challenging or reframing misconceptions and restructuring habits in ways that improve sleep quality.

“CBTi is the gold standard for treatment of insomnia and has consistently shown to improve symptoms of depression,” says Dr. Keys. “Its treatment effects are similar to antidepressant medications among adults, but with fewer side effects, and is therefore often preferred by pregnant individuals.”

Sixty-two women assessed for insomnia and depressive symptoms participated in the study—with half randomly assigned to an intervention group and half to a control group.

“We found that CBTi during pregnancy significantly improved sleep and reduced postpartum depressive symptoms for participants,” explains Dr. Keys. “These are enormously encouraging results for anyone that has struggled in those early weeks and months with their newborns.”

Results indicate that effective insomnia treatment during pregnancy may serve as a protective factor against postpartum depression.

“Our study adds to the growing evidence that treating insomnia during pregnancy is beneficial for various outcomes,” Dr. Keys says. “It’s time to explore how we can make this treatment more accessible to pregnant individuals across the country, with the goal of improving sleep health equity.”

The research highlights the interdisciplinary collaborations happening between UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, along with researchers from across Canada. Dr. Elizabeth Keys is from UBCO while Dr. Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen, a Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Intersectionality, is based at UBC Vancouver.

Dr. Keys and Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen are lead investigators on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Sleep Equity Reimagined team and members of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium.

The study appears in the October issue of Journal of Affective Disorders.

The post Insomnia therapy reduces postpartum depression, study shows appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

To observe National Nursing Week, UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing invites the community to acknowledge and support the pivotal roles of nurses, nurse educators and nursing students.

Their contributions are instrumental in shaping the future of care in British Columbia and nationwide.

“With the support of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, we are expanding our existing programs and developing new pathways and courses,” says Jacqueline Denison, Interim Director of the School of Nursing. “These new opportunities will shape the next generation of nurses.”

UBCO Nursing’s new and expanded programs are pivotal in adapting to and meeting the complex needs of today’s health-care landscape.

“Nurses perform vital work in our clinics, hospitals and communities. The new and expanded programs at UBC Okanagan will create more training opportunities for nurses looking to grow their knowledge as they care for British Columbians and their families,” says Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

New Micro-Credentials in Primary Care
UBCO Nursing launched the first of four micro-credentials, a Primary Care Practice Essentials Certificate. The certificate will build nurses’ knowledge and skills in team-based primary care, which is crucial for health promotion, early disease detection and managing chronic disease.

Specialty Nursing Pathways
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, the school is supported in integrating specialty nursing education pathways—including critical care, perinatal and perioperative nursing—into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This will allow new graduates to move quickly and competently into specialty nursing practice.

Indigenous Graduate Education in Nursing Program
The Ministry and the Canadian Institute for Health Research are supporting the development of the Indigenous Graduate Education in Nursing program. The program is a collaboration between several Indigenous communities and five BC post-secondary institutions.

The goal is to meet the health-care needs of Indigenous people through the mentorship and training of Indigenous nurse leaders.

Two Indigenous nursing students have completed the pilot MSN Research Methods course on Indigenous Health Nursing Approaches to Wellness at UVic as part of their pathway. Four new Indigenous Master’s students are set to begin the pathway at UBC Okanagan this month.

The post UBC Okanagan celebrates expansion, innovation during Nursing Week appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.