School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services, Doon Campus
Conestoga’s School of Health is a leader in the education of health care and life practitioners. The establishment of a 70,000 sq. ft. applied learning and research facility at the Doon Campus which opens in September, will allow Conestoga to create Ontario’s most advanced health care training resource within a polytechnic/college environment, while also offering programs to wider audiences through electronic learning options to both train and upgrade professionals regardless of their location. With the completion of the facility, Conestoga will significantly increase the capacity of existing programs such as BScN (in partnership with McMaster University), the Practical Nursing diploma, and the Respiratory Therapy advanced diploma program. Overall student enrolment in health sciences programs will increase from 1,400 to 2,800 by 2014.
Emergency Medical Services, Doon Campus
The new ambulance station will improve waiting times in an area of the region that has traditionally been under-serviced, while Conestoga students will have enhanced learning opportunities at this facility. When completed in September, the facility will become an emergency medical services hub allowing police, firefighters, nurses and EMS personnel to work together. That includes the opportunity for Conestoga students to work alongside these professionals. The benefits to students goes beyond the nuts and bolts infrastructure. The proximity allows students to absorb some of the culture and the excitement—and better prepare them for some of the harsher realities of day-to-day operations in a EMS-station setting.
The nurse practitioner clinic will serve two important purposes: it is a facility for people in the community who do not have primary health-care access, and it gives College students the benefit of highly enhanced education as they train to become professionals. Working alongside other health care professionals, nurse practitioners will requisition tests and care for patients with basic injuries and those suffering from common illnesses, with emphasis on the management of chronic diseases. Primary care will be delivered by professional nurse-practitioners in healthcare sub-specialties like mental health, post-menopausal care of women, care of the senior, and issues like respiratory and cardiorespiratory issues.
Conestoga Alumni
Nurse Practitioner Clinic, Doon Campus
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